


As We Fall

by DarknessConsumesMe



Series: Windrunner Chronicles [2]
Category: Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forsaken, Male Protagonist, Romance, Tragedy, Undead, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 71
Words: 388,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23706319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessConsumesMe/pseuds/DarknessConsumesMe
Summary: Sylvanas Windrunner and her mate Kelrian live happily together with their children and their families. They have everything they have ever dreamed of and there is nothing they were wishing more than never ending peace. They have a carefree life. But everything changed when the death knight Arthas Menethil and his undead army attacked their home and turned their world upside down.
Relationships: Sylvanas Windrunner/Original Character(s)
Series: Windrunner Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707322
Comments: 418
Kudos: 103





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This story is the sequel of the story "We choose our own destiny". If you haven't read it you should start with it first, otherwise, you won't understand a lot of the references. This story will be a Canon - Divergence Alternative Universe. I won't change much about the events that happen in Warcraft 3 but I will do changes about The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King ( these changes can be small or even have a huge impact).
> 
> I will stick to the lore up to a certain point and then change something and do my own thing.
> 
> Important: This story has a M+/18+ Rating. There will be violence, explicit sexual content and even rape ( mentioned). I want to make this story as realistic as possible. Sylvanas' story is a very tragic one so there will be scenes that won't be easy to read ( and write in my case). These scenes will be necessary but they will be rare.
> 
> If you don't want to read such scenes then don't read this story. I will "mark" the explicit sexual content so you can even skip it if you want to read the story but no porn scenes.
> 
> Enjoy this story. Have a nice day.

Her heartbeat was steady but faster than usual. Her breaths were quiet and controlled. Her blue eyes were open and rested on her opponent who kept circling around her but didn't dare to attack her. His eyes, which had the same colour as hers, rested on her. He watched her every move so did she. But he was not the only one who was watching her.

There were three pairs of eyes that were regarding her and her opponent. They were regarding them as they circled around each other and waited for the perfect moment to attack.

Sylvanas Windrunner was wondering when her opponent would attack her. She could also make the first step and attack him but she had decided to wait for his attack. The blond man, who was one head taller than her, came closer to her. He was more muscular and heavier than her but was still pretty fast for his size. But Sylvanas was faster.

She knew him pretty well. She knew exactly how he moved and how he attacked his opponents. She knew his fighting style pretty well, so she foresaw his attack and turned her upper body to the left, dodging his punch. But she didn't just dodge his attack, she countered it within the same movement. She grabbed his arm, pulled him forward and flung him over her shoulder. A painful hiss escaped his lips as he landed on the hard ground.

He remained there for a few seconds before he got up and made a few steps away from her. Sylvanas could have pinned him to the ground and forced him to surrender if she had wanted to but that would have been too easy for her liking. She didn't want to end the battle yet. She wanted to keep fighting and give the spectators a show. She wanted to demonstrate how strong she was.

The blond man came closer. He held his fists in front of his face and made careful steps, watching the Ranger-General's every move. Sylvanas let him come and allowed him to attack. This time he tried to kick her but she avoided it by jumping to the side. He tried to kick her again but she caught his foot and swiped his other foot away with her left leg. He landed on the ground once again, hitting his head hard.

He laid there for a few moments, pulled himself together and got up but slower this time. He rubbed the back of his head and tested if he was bleeding. Fortunately for him, he was not. Sylvanas gave him a slightly provocative grin. "Tired already?"

The man snorted in amusement. "No. You?"

Soft laughter escaped Sylvanas' lips. "I'm not even warmed up yet. Come on, show me your best, Kelrian."

"Your wish is my command," Kelrian replied and approached her once again. He didn't go for a direct attack this time. He feinted a punch from the left but instead, he boxed her in the right hip. Sylvanas bit her bottom lip hard to prevent that any painful sound could escape her lips. She made a poker face so Kelrian wouldn't find out that he had hurt her. She didn't want to show him that his attack had been very successful.

She ignored the pain and struck back, burring her fist in the pit of his stomach. A lot of air escaped Kelrian's lungs as he stumbled backwards. Sylvanas took advantage of the moments, where he was still stunned by the pain he was feeling, to punch him in the right side. Another painful hiss escaped his lips but he regained control over his body. He blocked the next attack and the next, catching her left arm. He grabbed her left wrist and pulled her closer.

He spun her around and managed to get her in a headlock, trying to force her to surrender. Sylvanas' heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her skin was tingling nervously but adrenaline was also rushing through her body. She knew she was not in a good position but she didn't lose her cool. She remained calm and didn't do any panicked moves. A few thrusts of her elbow in the pit of his stomach caused that he had to loosen his grip. His arm was still wrapped around her neck but she had more freedom than before.

Kelrian tried to tighten his grip again but Sylvanas gave him more elbow thrusts in the stomach, causing him to loosen his grip more so she could free herself. She grabbed his arm and threw him over her hip, throwing herself at him. She pinned him to the ground even though she was smaller than him and her body was not as muscular as his. She was much lighter than him but that didn't stop her from pinning him down.

He struggled hard but he managed to throw her off him. He got up laboriously and increased the distance between them. His head was as red as a tomato and he was breathing heavily. He made one step backwards with each step she made towards him. He wished he could do that until he would have pulled himself together but he wasn't able to buy as much time as he wanted. He came to the edge of the circle Sylvanas had drawn on the ground.

Kelrian attacked her but Sylvanas threw him over her shoulder once again. She stood next to him and looked down at him, a provocative grin could be seen on her perfect lips. Kelrian's eyes rested on her, his entire body hurt and his breathing was uncontrolled and heavy. It seemed that Sylvanas had won this sparring match but he didn't give up yet. He had one last ace in his sleeve and he could only hope that this ace would make him win.

He focused the remains of his strength and rolled away, getting up eventually. Sylvanas' grin became wider. "You haven't had enough yet? Do you want to kiss the ground for the fourth time that day?"

Kelrian didn't go for her bait. "Not this time, my dear," he said and muttered a few phrases, his eyes rested on her and regarded her closely. Sylvanas didn't attack. She could attack but she didn't. Instead, she waited and allowed him to do what he wanted to do.

She turned her head a little as she noticed the person behind her. It looked exactly like her sparring partner. It was a clone of him and it didn't hesitate to run towards her. Its fists were clenched, meaning it was ready to attack her. Kelrian ran towards Sylvanas at the same time and prepared an attack. Sylvanas was flanked by Kelrian and his clone.

But Sylvanas remained calm and waited until they had almost approached her. She turned to the side and kicked the clone in the stomach, sending it away while she turned her upper body forwards and punched Kelrian in the face. The ranger cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, holding his hands in front of his nose out of which blood was flowing out. He ran his fingers over it, sighing out in relief as he noticed that it was not broken.

Sylvanas saw out of the corners of her eyes that the clone dissolved, meaning only Kelrian was left. The Ranger-General didn't hesitate to charge at him, ramming him so that he fell to the ground with her.

Sylvanas climbed on top of him and pinned his arms on the floor, giving him a triumphant smile. Kelrian knew that he had lost so he stopped fighting her and stared into her beautiful sky-blue eyes.

"Seems that I have won," announced Sylvanas.

Kelrian didn't contradict her and gave her an agreeing nod. Sylvanas' smile became wider, her gaze rested on him for a few moments before she lowered her head and pressed her lips against his, expecting him to return her kiss which he did without hesitation. The kiss didn't last very long but it was good enough to satisfy her for the moment. They got up after nearly a minute and stared at each other.

"You are becoming better and better," she complimented as she tapped off the dust from her outfit which was her Ranger-General uniform. She wore brown coloured leggings to which blue coloured armour pieces were attached that protected her shins and upper thighs. Like these armour pieces, her chest guard was also made out of the best iron of the Eastern Kingdoms. It was also coloured in blue and protected everything from her breasts to her navel. The rest of her torso was exposed and unprotected.

Her shoulder plates covered most of her upper arms when she stretched them out. Her forearms and her elbows were covered by long brown gloves made out of leather. Her outfit was not complete. Her blue cape and the attached hood were missing, which meant that Sylvanas' gorgeous golden-blonde hair was uncovered. It was loose and the tips reached to the top of her chest plate. Normally, Sylvanas wore her cape because it let her look more impressive than she already was. But she had taken it off because it would only hinder her during a sparring match.

"Thank you. You trained me well," responded Kelrian and stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her left hip. Sylvanas stared into his eyes. "And your magic became better as well. It seems Prince Kael'thas trained you well."

"He did but I'm still not able to beat you. Even with my magic."

Sylvanas smirked. "You didn't use any of your fire, arcane or frost spells. I would have no chance if you would use some of your more powerful spells."

"I only use them against my enemies and you are not my enemy. I'm glad that no enemy threatened us in the past fifteen years. We had peace for quite a while and I hope it will never end. But we have to be prepared for everything so I'm glad I'm not only a ranger but also a mage at the same time," he said in return.

"You are right about that, my dear. Nevertheless, you became a lot better. I'm proud of you," she said and put a hand on his cheek, caressing it softly.

Kelrian blushed slightly and smiled. "Thank you, my love." Sylvanas stared into his eyes for a few more moments before she turned around and looked at the spectators. She left Kelrian behind and walked over to them. There were a boy and a girl at the age of fourteen which looked very similar to Sylvanas and Kelrian. They looked so similar because they were their children. Their firstborns. They were fraternal twins.

The last spectator was a female half-elf with brown skin and dark blonde hair. She had much shorter ears than the twins and her facial features had some similarities to Sylvanas'. She was Sylvanas' niece, the daughter of her deceased brother Lirath who died fifteen years ago during the Second War. Her name was Lyndia.

Sylvanas looked at her children and Lyndia who were looking at her with big eyes. They were obviously impressed by the fight they had just witnessed. There was no high elf who was better in close combat than Sylvanas Windrunner who belonged to one of the most popular quel'dorei. Her mate Kelrian Sunsinger was also well known to most people but he was by far not as popular as the famous Ranger-General of Silvermoon.

"I hope you enjoyed the show," said Sylvanas and smiled at them.

"That was so awesome. I can't believe you defeated father so easily," responded her daughter Sylvera. She wore her training outfit which consisted of brown leggings and a blue top. Like her mother at this moment, she wore no hood so her magnificent hair was exposed. Her brother Raesh, on the other hand, wore a hood that covered most of his hair which looked as magnificent as his sister's. He wore a similar outfit to Sylvera and was as tall as her.

Sylvanas laughed. "It may have looked easy but it was not easy. Your father did well and even managed to put me in a headlock. Nobody had managed to do that for nearly a hundred years. He is strong too and very skilled in close combat."

"But not as skilled as you," responded her son.

Kelrian stepped next to his mate and put an arm around her shoulder. "You are right, Raesh. I'm not as good as her because nobody is as good as her. She is the best of the best. Nobody can beat her in close combat."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Nobody we know at least. Everything is possible. Maybe there will be someone one day who would be better than me. Maybe it's one of you three."

Lyndia's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you really think that, aunt Sylvanas?"

Sylvanas shrugged. "It's possible, if you train hard you might be better than me one day. Who knows? You always need a goal you want to reach if you want to get better. Becoming better than me could be your goal that will always motivate you to train. Even if you would never achieve that goal, you have tried it at least and that's all that matters. Always remember that."

"We will," the children said in unison and nodded to her.

"Alright, I have spent enough time outside for now. You will train with him while I make us something to eat. Does that sound fair to you?"

"It does," they responded at the same time and smiled. Sylvanas smiled back at them and put kisses on their foreheads, even on Lyndia's, before she walked over to the back entrance and entered the large house that belonged to her family.

Kelrian's gaze shifted back to his children and Lyndia who looked at him expectantly. "Are you ready kids?" he asked. They nodded.

"Alright then. We will start with a little warm-up. You will run twenty rounds around the pond."

"Do we really have to do that? Can't we just start with the fun part?" wailed Raesh.

"No, we can't do that, my son. A Warm-up is very important before you start training because you might pull your muscles and hurt yourself if you haven't warmed up and stretched properly. Believe me, I know what I am talking about." Raesh nodded and didn't contradict him any further. His father signalized them to start running and they didn't hesitate to run over to the pond in the middle of the garden and start running their rounds.

Kelrian watched them in the meantime and urged them to run faster whenever they slowed down. Lyndia was the fastest of the three while Raesh ran in a constant tempo and didn't become as exhausted as her. Sylvera was the slowest of the three but she also completely twenty rounds and that was all that mattered. They returned to Kelrian who showed them lots of stretching exercises which they carried out without complaining about them.

He knew that the three wanted nothing more than practice aiming or sparring with another, so he knew that they wouldn't be happy about the next task. They had to do press-ups, knee-bends, burpees and other exercises that stimulated the most important muscle groups. Every ranger needed a thoroughly fit body if they wanted to belong to the best. Physical strength would always be needed during times of war but also in daily life. Every ranger should be able to run fast, swim fast and lift heavy things and bring them to other places.

Sylvanas put a high value on training every part of the body and she wanted that every Farstrider would follow her example and would do such training sessions at least every second day. Her children and her niece were no exception. They had to train like her rangers. Sylvanas didn't favour anyone because of their relationship with her. She didn't favour her sisters, her lover and not even her children. Every person was equal in her eyes.

Lots of Sylvanas' rangers believed that she was favouring Kelrian. They believed he had earned his rank because he was Sylvanas' lover but she didn't make him to Ranger-Lieutenant because she loved him and he warmed her bed. She gave him the rank because he had earned it. He fought against orcs and trolls in the Second War and killed many of them. He also managed to escape from troll captivity and capture the troll queen of the Amani at the same time. He earned the respect of many and only those who were jealous of him, mostly Sylvanas' exes and admirers, spread such inappropriate and false rumours.

Kelrian ignored them most of the times while Sylvanas had started to talk to those who spread the rumours and tried to convince him that he deserved that rank but she had given up because she had realized that they were too stubborn and jealous to accept the truth. Kelrian didn't mind these rumours. He was convinced that he had earned his rank because of his skills and knowledge and not because he was sleeping with the Ranger-General.

Kelrian signalized his children and Lyndia to come to him once they were done with stretching their muscles. He pulled his pocket watch out of the little bag on the table next to him and looked at it. "I think we have stretched enough. I assume the dinner won't be ready within three-quarters of an hour, so you have enough time practising. You can go to the dummies and pick up a wooden sword or you practise aiming. It's up to you."

The three teenagers smiled at him, walking over to the shooting range. There were five rows of three targets that were set up at regular intervals. The last row had a distance of six hundred feet to the line from which the teenagers should shoot.

They picked up the bows, Sylvanas and Kelrian had gifted to them last Winter Veil, and walked to the line. They positioned themselves, so no one was bothering the other and started to shot. Kelrian leaned against the nearest tree, arms were crossed in front of his chest as he regarded them.

His children were doing fine while Lyndia had a few problems hitting the middle of the first target that stood fifteen feet away from her. Most of the times she missed the bull's eye and hit the inner or outer circles. Raesh and Sylvera hit the bull's eye most of the time.

Unlike Kelrian's children, Lyndia was not the child of two skilful rangers but that didn't mean she couldn't become as good as them. It was okay that she couldn't aim as well as the just needed more time to practice but Kelrian and Sylvanas would give her the time. The teenagers wouldn't be able to attend the entrance examination of the Farstriders before they would be twenty years old, so they had six more years in which they could practise very hard. Kelrian was sure his children will make it through the examination and he believed Lyndia could pass it too if she would work hard on herself.

He walked over to her and corrected her posture. "Try it now."

The brown-skinned girl nodded and aimed, shooting the arrow a few moments later. It almost hit the bull's eyes. Kelrian chuckled as he saw the small smile on her lips. "That was much better. Keep trying."

Lyndia nodded and pulled the next arrow from her quiver. She aimed and hit the bull's eye this time. Kelrian applauded. "Well done. That was a good shot."

The girl blushed. "Thank you."

Kelrian looked at his children who were shooting at the next targets behind the first one. These targets were at a distance of thirty feet. Sylvera and Raesh didn't hit the bull's eye but they hit the nearest circles. Kelrian watched them while they continued to do that, not noticing how fast the time passed.

"Dinner is ready," shouted Sylvanas after a while. Everyone turned around and looked at the gorgeous blonde woman who was standing in the back entrance. She didn't wear her Ranger-General uniform anymore, instead, she wore brown leggings and a blue blouse. She made a gesture, signalizing everyone to come.

"You have heard her. Put your bows and quivers neatly on the table and go to the dining room." The teenagers nodded and did as they were told, running over to Sylvanas who put kisses on their foreheads before they entered the house. She waited for her lover and pulled him in a quick but passionate kiss once he had entered the house. Kelrian smiled as they pulled away. "I can't wait to taste what you cooked this time."

"I didn't cook it alone, my mother helped me."

"I'm still curious. You have become an excellent cook over the years," he complimented. "Your mother taught you well."

Sylvanas caressed his cheek. "Thank you, my love." She put her arm around his waist and followed the course of the corridor until they arrived in the dining room. The table was set and several people were already sitting there.

Sylvanas' parents Lireesa and Zalien Windrunner were sitting at the left side of the table. Lireesa sat at the head while Zalien sat to her right. Lireesa had short blonde hair and wore a blue dress. Zalien wore a yellow shirt and beige trousers. His natural blond hair had been dyed light-brown and reached to his shoulders.

To Lireesa's left sat Lyndia's mother Camillia. She was a human at the age of thirty-five with chocolate brown skin and coffee coloured hair which had been made to dreadlocks. She wore a green dress that looked unique and beautiful. Next to her sat her daughter and the twins.

"Where is Alleria?" Sylvanas asked as she sat down next to her son.

"She is visiting Vereesa and her husband in Dalaran," responded her mother.

"I should visit her too. Now that she is pregnant, she might need tips from me. I can give her lots of tips which she may need once the baby is born."

"I think Alleria is already doing that but you are right, it doesn't hurt if you visit her from time to time," responded Zalien.

Sylvanas wrapped her arm around Kelrian as soon as he sat on his chair. "I still can't believe that she decided to live in Dalaran instead of living here with us."

"Rhonin is a member of the Council of the Six, so he has to do lots of things in Dalaran. He is a very busy man, so it only makes sense that they stay in Dalaran."

"I understand that but she could have stayed here with us and Rhonin could have visited her whenever he wanted. He is a powerful mage, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to create a portal to Windrunner Spire," responded Sylvanas.

Kelrian put one of his hands on her right hand, smiling at her. "He is a powerful mage, you are right about that. But creating a portal costs a lot of power and it takes some time to create it. It would take at least an hour for him if he would do it alone. He wouldn't have the time for that if he just wants to see her for a few minutes before he goes to a meeting or does something else. Living in Dalaran is the best solution for them. It's not that we can't visit them. We can visit them whenever we want just like they do often. "

Sylvanas returned his smile and kissed his cheek softly. "You are right about that."

"I have to go to Dalaran tomorrow. You could come with me if you want. We could visit them before I meet up with my mentor."

"That's a wonderful idea, honey. We should do that."

"Convey regards from us," said Lireesa.

"From all of us," added Camillia.

"We will do that," responded Sylvanas.

"Now that we cleared that up, we can finally eat. I'm very hungry," said Sylvanas' father.

Kelrian turned his head and looked at the meals that stood in the middle of the table. The starter was a large bowl of asparagus soup, the main course was breaded fish and the dessert was a fruit salad.

They talked about daily topics while they ate and enjoyed the food. Everyone loved the food Sylvanas and her mother had cooked and they didn't hesitate to tell the cooks how good it was. The women thanked them and showed them how happy they were. Everyone ate until they were full but they didn't get up yet. They remained on their seats and continued to talk.

"How is your training doing?" Zalien asked Kelrian eventually.

The addressed man turned his head and looked at the father of the love of his life. "I'm getting better and better with each passing day. Prince Kael'thas is a very good teacher and a very patient one. I have heard of many teachers who are not as patient as him. Humans mostly."

"What is your specialization?"

"Arcane. I'm not bad at using fire magic or frost magic but I'm doing better at using arcane magic."

"I thought Prince Kael'thas specialization is fire magic, so why did you choose him as a teacher?" asked Lireesa.

"He offered to train me, so I accepted without thinking twice. I don't want to insult anyone but there are lots of very strict teachers so I chose him because he is more relaxed than others," Kelrian explained.

"I'm sure that Kael'thas is more than just capable of teaching Kelrian arcane magic even though it's not his specialization. The prince is pretty good at every form of magic," replied Sylvanas.

"You are right. He is suited for the role of a teacher. He has lots of experience because he learned the ways of magic hundreds of years ago and trains every single day since he became a mage. He belongs to the most powerful mages of the Alliance, so I believe he will make an excellent mage out of Kelrian," said Zalien.

Kelrian smiled. "I believe the same. I'm glad that he is teaching me."

They talked for nearly half an hour before they decided that they had sat long enough at the table. The teenagers got up and helped to clear the table before they rushed out of the room and ran towards the backyard.

"It seems that they can't wait to continue with their training," said Kelrian amused.

Sylvanas smiled and stepped to her lover, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She stepped on her tiptoes and stared into his eyes. "They remind me of a certain man who wanted nothing more than becoming better and better so the Ranger-General would allow him to join her elite team."

"I wonder who that man is," he said in return, giving her a teasing grin.

"I don't know. Maybe the love of my life?" she asked and winked at him. She enclosed the distance between their faces, pressing her lips against his. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, putting one hand on the back of her head while he put the other on her right hip. Sylvanas deepened the kiss and run the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, demanding entrance. Kelrian knew it was unwise to deny her demands and wishes, so he parted his lips and allowed her to insert her tongue.

Sylvanas explored every corner of his mouth, allowing him to do the same. They parted eventually and breathed heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. They turned their heads and looked at Lireesa and Zalien who were regarding them happily. "You are such a cute couple," said Sylvanas' mother.

Sylvanas and Kelrian smiled."You are good role models for us. You are together for several hundred years and you still love each other. You act like you fell in love just yesterday. I can only hope our love will endure as long as yours."

Her parents smiled. "We hope that for any of our children. We hope Alleria and Turalyon and Vereesa and Rhonin will always be happy and never separate."

Sylvanas agreed with them. "We hope the same."

There was silence for a few minutes. The two couples did nothing except for staring at each other. Sylvanas broke the pleasant silence eventually. "Should I help you with the dirty dishes?"

"That would be great, my dear," Lireesa responded and handed a kitchen cloth to her daughter. Sylvanas' gaze fell on her mate. "Would you go to the little ones and watch over them while they train?"

"With pleasure, my dear," he said and put a kiss on her forehead. She smiled at him as she watched him leave, then she turned around and took the first plate, cleaning it and then putting it back in the cupboard. Zalien and Camillia left the room, so only mother and daughter remained in the room. They cleaned the plates and cutlery in silence at first but then Lireesa asked something that really surprised Sylvanas. She nearly dropped the plate she was holding but she caught it in the last moment. The question had come out of nowhere. Without context.

Sylvanas frowned. "Can you repeat it, please? I think I misheard you."

"Are you pregnant, Sylvanas?" One of her mother's brows were raised, curiosity was reflected by her eyes.

"No, I'm not pregnant. What makes you think that?"

"You stopped drinking wine lately, so I thought you became pregnant again."

Sylvanas' eyes didn't leave her mother's. "I stopped drinking wine because I want to live healthier which means I only drink wine on special occasions."

She was not sure but she had the impression that her mother was disappointed a little. "Too bad, I would have loved the idea about you being pregnant for the second time," Lireesa muttered and looked back at the last dirty plate that stood in front of her. Sylvanas didn't say anything in response and just watched her mother cleaning the plate.

She had to admit that she had never thought about getting a third baby because she had a busy job, two lovely children who always wanted her attention and the best mate in the world who supported her whenever he could. She already had everything she could ever have dreamed of, so she had never thought of getting more children.

But she had to admit she liked the idea of getting another child. But not in the near future. Maybe in a few years. She had to think about it and she would have to talk to Kelrian about this. She would do that one day.

Lireesa dried her hands on the kitchen cloth and handed it over to her daughter who did the same. "Do you want to go in the backyard with me and watch the training of your children and Lyndia?" Lireesa asked curiously.

"Why not. I want to see how much better they have become since the last time I watched them training," said Sylvanas and walked out of the kitchen. Her mother didn't hesitate to follow her and leave the house with her.


	2. Visiting Dalaran

"You wouldn't have needed to create one by yourself," Sylvanas said and looked at her lover who was breathing heavily.

Kelrian's head hung low, his upper body was bent forward and he propped his arms on his upper thighs. Kelrian lifted his head and looked at her, waiting until he felt less exhausted. "What should I have done instead?"

"You could have asked Zendarin to help you."

"I thought I could do it without spending too much power. I guess I overestimated myself. I had no problems the last time, so I can only assume that I did something wrong this time. I'm not used to creating portals alone. But I need to train it, so I prefer creating them alone even if it costs me more power and more time," Kelrian responded and pulled a potion out of his bag, feeling much better after he had consumed it.

"I'm fine, honey," he said and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

Sylvanas regarded him with a raised eyebrow for a few moments before her face became neutral. "If you say so."

Kelrian turned his head and regarded their surroundings. They stood in the middle of a round platform which floor was covered by tiles in different colours that made a beautiful painting.

Lots of people stood around them. There were lots of humans and high elves but the couple could also spot a few dwarves and gnomes. Some of these people minded their own business and didn't pay attention to the famous Ranger-General and her mate but most of them did. They came closer to them and greeted them, some of them even had a short talk with them.

Sylvanas and Kelrian didn't remain on Krasus' Landing for too long. They left the landing area rather quickly and followed the course of the streets until they came to Rhonin's and Vereesa's house. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to knock at the door, waiting until it was opened. Vereesa had barely opened the door as Sylvanas approached her and pulled her surprised little sister in a tight hug. She put her hands on her sister's back, smiling at the woman who stood a few feet behind Vereesa. Soft laughter escaped Alleria's lips as she saw the scene in front of her.

Alleria wore her usual green Ranger-Captain uniform while Vereesa wore a blue dress that didn't hide her belly. Sylvanas pulled away and regarded her little sister from head to toe. Vereesa's face looked chubbier and her curves were more was obviously pregnant but didn't seem to be stressed. Her lips formed a happy smile as she looked at her older sister. "You are visiting me too, Sylvanas. That's a nice surprise."

"And she didn't come alone," added Alleria.

Vereesa turned her head, looking at Kelrian. Her smile became even wider. "It's good to see you too, Kel."

"It's also good to see you, Vereesa. I hope you are doing fine in your current state. I have witnessed how stressful pregnancy can be for a woman, so I hope you can manage everything."

"I do. It's not easy sometimes but I manage my daily life pretty well. I also have Rhonin who helps me out whenever I need help. His mere presence comforts me and gives me enough strength. It's much easier to hold out the stress when he is around."

"I know that feeling, little moon. Kelrian also helped me whenever he could. I'm glad you have found someone you truly love and I can't wait to witness the birth of your child. I'm already so excited."

The silver-haired woman smiled. "Why don't you come in first and then we can talk about everything? Not everyone needs to hear us."

"You are right about that," responded her sister and entered the house, pulling her lover with her. They didn't hesitate to remove their shoes and put them in front of the shoe cupboard. Kelrian removed his jacket and hung it on the coat-stand. Then he removed Sylvanas' jacket and also hung it there. Sylvanas gave him a small nod and took his hand, intertwining their fingers.

She noticed that her little sister's eyes rested on her face first and then shifted to her flat stomach. Sylvanas tilted her head, an amused smile appeared on her lips. "Is something wrong, little moon?"

Vereesa blushed and turned her head a little, averting her gaze. "No, not really. I was just wondering how you always look perfect no matter what you wear."

Sylvanas smirked. "That's a secret."

Alleria snorted amused. "The universe wanted Sylvanas to be perfect. There are no secrets. She doesn't have to do anything to look gorgeous. Sylvanas' beauty is a mystery for itself. Nobody will ever find out how she always looks perfect."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "That's not true. I have to look after my appearance too. I can't just leave my house without fixing my hair or washing. I'm not perfect. Nobody is perfect." She approached Alleria and hugged her, putting her head on her shoulder as she stroked her back. She pulled away eventually and waited until Kelrian had hugged her sisters.

"How are the kids doing?" asked the eldest Windrunner sibling.

"They are spending time with their grandma," responded Kelrian."

"Your mother or ours?"

"Yours."

"What are they doing?"

Kelrian shrugged. "I have no idea. I only hope they enjoy their time together."

"I don't see a reason why they wouldn't. They love to spend time with our parents" responded Vereesa.

"That's right. They love to hear their stories," said Alleria.

Vereesa giggled. "Mother loves to tell awesome stories from her past. Sometimes I miss hearing them."

"Maybe you could ask her to tell us one of her stories the next time you see her," suggested Sylvanas.

"That's not a bad idea."

"Why don't you visit us for dinner tomorrow? Rhonin can come with you."

Vereesa made a thoughtful face. "Rhonin will be very busy tomorrow but I think he will have time on Friday evening."

"That sounds good."

"But I should ask him first. I can't confirm anything without asking him first."

"Makes sense," Sylvanas said quietly.

"Let's go to his office and ask him now," suggested Vereesa and linked arms with her sisters, looking at them alternately.

Alleria and Sylvanas nodded at her. The four left the little entrance hall and followed the bordering corridor. The floor was covered by light-blue tiles, a few paintings hung on the walls. There was a large family portrait, which showed every member of the Windrunner family and their lovers, in the living room. They walked through the living room and followed the corridor until they came to Rhonin's office.

Vereesa knocked at the door and waited until a sympathetic sounding voice told her to come in. Vereesa opened the door and allowed her guests to step in, then she closed the door behind her.

Kelrian's eyes checked the surroundings. He noticed that Rhonin's office hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen it. The floor was covered by a purple coloured carpet, lots of shelves stood in front of the opposite wall. The window on the right side of the room was open so that Rhonin was provided with sufficient fresh air and sunlight.

There was a vase full of beautiful flowers on the desk in the middle of the room. Behind the desk sat a man who was reading a document. He had long, fire-red hair, finely chiselled features and a goatee that covered his entire chin. He wore a purple robe and made a sympathetic impression. He was so engrossed in reading the document that he didn't notice the four persons who had already entered his office and were standing in front of his desk.

Vereesa cleared her throat, smiling at her husband who lifted his gaze and looked at Vereesa's sisters and Kelrian in surprise. He put the document aside and stood up abruptly, walking around his desk. He approached Vereesa and their guests. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice you. I knew you were coming but somehow I didn't hear you enter the room, so I continued reading."

"It's okay, Rhonin", responded Alleria and gave the human a small smile. The mage nodded and then looked at Sylvanas, lowering his head in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ranger-General."

Sylvanas tilted her head and gave her brother-in-law an amused smile. "You know you can call me by my first name, right?"

Rhonin blushed a little. "I always forget about that."

"It's okay, Rhonin. You are a good guy, so I forgive you this time," she said teasingly.

Rhonin chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I will try to remember it next time." His gaze fell on Kelrian. **"** If that's not the most promising apprentice we currently have. It's nice to meet you, Kelrian. I haven't seen you for a while. Did you take a break?

Kelrian shook his head. "Not really. I'm still travelling to Dalaran twice a week and train with Prince Kael'thas there. We also train three times a week in Silvermoon so I train five days a week in total."

"Why didn't I see you then?"

Kelrian shrugged. "Maybe because you were too busy or you were in this lovely house whenever I came to Dalaran. Who knows?"

"I have been very busy these past few weeks, that's right. Anyways, it's good to see you."

Kelrian smiled. "It's good to see you too, Master Rhonin."

Soft laughter escaped the archmage's lips. "Don't be so formal Kelrian. We are a family after all. Both of us are together with one of the three most beautiful women on Azeroth. There is no need to be formal," Rhonin said and caressed Vereesa's cheek, putting an arm around her. The silver-haired woman smiled happily and leaned against him.

"I will remember that. But I will still name you with your title when other persons, who are not familiar to us, are around us. I don't want that anyone thinks I show you no respect."

Rhonin nodded. "Do that." Suddenly, he touched his head and shook his head. "Where are my manners? Why don't you take a seat first and tell me if you want anything to eat or drink?"

"There are only two chairs besides yours in your office," mentioned Sylvanas.

"We can change that very quickly," responded Rhonin and muttered a few phrases. He looked concentrated while he did that. Two more chairs appeared out of nowhere after he had completed his spell. "Now we should have enough chairs."

Sylvanas gave him a thankful nod and sat down putting her right hand on Kelrian's left upper thigh while the other rested on her sister's round belly, caressing it softly. Vereesa looked at her and gave her a happy smile.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat?" Rhonin asked.

"Moonberry juice," replied Sylvanas.

"With or without alcohol?"

"Without."

Rhonin made a surprised face but didn't say anything in return. He looked at Kelrian who told him that he just wanted water. Alleria told her that she wanted moonberry juice but with alcohol.

"Is something wrong, Sylvanas?" the red-head asked eventually.

The Ranger-General tilted her head and gave the archmage a questioning look. "What do you mean? Why should something be wrong?

Rhonin shrugged. "You usually consume alcohol when we meet and now you go without it. That's suspicious."

"I think you're reading too much into this," responded Sylvanas.

"Maybe I am. But maybe there is a certain reason why you stopped drinking," he responded. He lowered his gaze until it rested on her exposed stomach. Then he looked up at her and tilted his head a little. His lips were pressed together and formed a thin line, he raised an eyebrow and a curious expression could be seen on his face.

Sylvanas understood what he was referring to. "I'm not pregnant if that's what you are thinking. You are not the only one who asked me about it."

"I'm not?" he asked surprised.

Sylvanas nodded. "My mother, my best friend, my siblings and even the king asked me if I was expecting another child. It's impossible to stop consuming alcohol these days without anyone thinking that I'm expecting another child. I just want to live a little healthier, that's all."

"Do you want another child?" Rhonin asked curiously.

"Maybe someday, but I'm not sure if I want another one in the near future. Let's say it like that. I'm not against another child but I don't want it in the next few years. I want to wait until the little ones become adults and then I will think about it again."

Rhonin nodded and looked at Kelrian. "And that's okay for you?"

Kelrian responded without hesitation. "It is."

"As long as you are happy with this solution," Rhonin responded and cast a spell that made a tray of drinks appear. Everyone took what they had wanted and drank a little.

"We are," responded Kelrian eventually.

"Do you feel ready to become a father?" Sylvanas asked Rhonin.

The mage smiled. "I am. I have to admit I'm nervous about it but I'm looking forward to the birth."

"You will be a great father," assured Sylvanas.

"I think the same. You got what it takes. You are a wise and friendly man and you get along with everyone. Your child will be happy to have you," added Kelrian.

"I hope so," replied the red-haired man. He seemed a little insecure but the insecurity vanished as Vereesa put her hand on his and gave him a comforting smile. He returned her smile and stared into her eyes for a few moments before he averted his gaze and looked back at the guests.

"What about you Alleria?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want another child?"

The eldest Windrunner sibling made a thoughtful face. "There is nothing that stands against it but I think I would wait a few more years. Maybe even longer."

Rhonin nodded but didn't say anything in return nor did anyone else. They sat there and stared at each other while enjoying their drinks and the food the archmage had just conjured. There were fruits, sweets and other snacks. They ate and talked a little, exchanging information like the well-being of their families. Sylvanas even conveyed the regards of her parents to Vereesa and Rhonin. Vereesa asked Rhonin if they could visit her family on Friday evening to have dinner with them and he agreed.

"How is your family doing, Kelrian?" Rhonin asked eventually.

"My mother is fine. She is still in a relationship with her childhood friend Varo. They had their tenth anniversary a week ago."

"Give them my regards when you see them the next time."

"I will."

"What about your siblings?" he asked.

"Sindor decided that he no longer wants to be a priest and wants to be a paladin instead. He started his training a few months ago. My sisters are currently travelling through Lordaeron and help the poor and wounded."

"That's very noble of them," said Vereesa.

"They have big hearts. They can't stand living a luxurious life while there are still people out there who live in poverty."

"Are there many poor people in Lordaeron? I always thought the king is doing his best to support the poor."

Sylvanas looked at her little sister. "He is. But in some cases, the money and the goods are not sufficient for everyone. There are many families who have many children but don't earn much money. They often can't afford a healer that's why Cincia and Sydori decided to help where they can. They treat everyone for free."

"If only more people would be like them," said Rhonin and shook his head. "There are lots of rich people in Lordaeron and Stormwind who only care about themselves and don't help the ones in need."

"It's a shame indeed," said Kelrian and took another sip from his water. "But there is nothing we can do except for collecting money and give it to the ones who need it the most. Sylvanas and I spend a large amount of money for the poor every year. We help whenever we can and we often visit those who don't earn much money. We bring them food and other goods which could be useful for them."

Rhonin looked at his wife. "We should do the same."

Vereesa nodded. "You are right, my love." Her gaze wandered to Alleria. The Ranger-Captain nodded to her. "I'm in."

The five persons talked for nearly two hours about different topics. They talked much about the Alliance and the Horde that was hiding somewhere in the Eastern Kingdoms. Alleria was convinced that they were planning something. Maybe another war.

Sylvanas, on the other hand, didn't believe in it. She trusted her scouts who had reported that the Horde had far too few warriors to pose a threat. Nevertheless, Alleria managed to convince Sylvanas to send out more spies to investigate what the Horde is planning. But they didn't talk about politics all the time. They also talked about daily and unimportant topics.

"I have to go," Kelrian said after a while. "My training starts soon."

"That suits me fine, I have to attend a meeting with the Council of the Six. Why don't we go together? I assume that Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider is waiting for you there."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "He is still a member of the Six, isn't he? Shouldn't he also attend the meeting then?"

"It's not an important one, so he doesn't have to join us," explained Rhonin.

Kelrian nodded and got up. "I'm ready."

Rhonin looked at the three women. "Do you want to wait here for us in the meantime? Or do you want to come with us?"

Vereesa looked at her sisters. "I would prefer staying because walking long distances became very tiring since I became pregnant. It's quite a march from our house to the Violet Citadel, so I prefer staying home. If you don't mind."

Alleria took her hands. "The last thing we want is you to overtax yourself. We can stay if you want and relax and cuddle a little like we used to do when we were much younger."

Vereesa smiled. "I would love that."

"I'm fine with that," said Sylvanas and emptied her glass.

"It's decided then," said Vereesa and looked at her husband.

Rhonin kissed his wife and Kelrian kissed Sylvanas. "Have fun, honey," the Ranger-Lieutenant said.

"We will. Don't worry about us. Enjoy your training, my dear."

Kelrian smiled and caressed her cheek. "I will."

Sylvanas gave him another kiss before she reminded him it was time to go. Kelrian nodded and told the three sisters that he was looking forward to seeing them later. They said the same and waved at him. Kelrian gave Sylvanas one last look before he left the room with Rhonin and walked through the house until they reached the door. Kelrian put on his jacket and his shoes before he left the house with the archmage.

They walked through the streets which were paved with light-purple cobblestones. The buildings were coloured in white and had purple coloured roofs. Lots of these roofs had the form of a dome. Dalaran was not a huge city but still belonged to the most famous cities of the Alliance of Lordaeron. It was known for its powerful mages that were trained there. Dalaran was a place where lots of mages came together and exchanged their knowledge to perfect their magic and become stronger. Lots of people were in Dalaran these days.

Most people who approached them greeted Rhonin with respect by naming him by his full title. They also greeted Kelrian but only a couple of persons knew his name. Kelrian and Rhonin were polite men so they greeted everyone in return.

They went on, turned into the street that led to the Violet Citadel and nearly ran into a young woman who got frightened and dropped the bag she was carrying.

Kelrian took a closer look at this woman. He had seen her a couple of times in Dalaran but he couldn't remember her name. The woman was in her mid-twenties and looked very beautiful. She had long blonde hair that was mostly hidden beneath a purple coloured hood. She wore white trousers and a chest plate that didn't cover her entire upper body. The lower half of her stomach was exposed and she had a low neckline. Her top didn't leave much to the imagination.

There was some sort of a skirt attached to her trousers and she even had a cape that reached to her feet and nearly came in contact with the ground. That woman had a surprised look on her face as she regarded the men in front of her.

"I hope we didn't scare you, Lady Jaina," Rhonin said and apologized to her.

Lady Jaina... Lady Jaina... Kelrian's eyes widened when he remembered who that woman was. She was the daughter of Daelin and Katherine Proudmoore who were the leaders of Kul Tiras, a kingdom built on three large isles. Jaina had become the apprentice of the legendary mage Antonidas, who was the leader of the Kirin Tor, when she had only been eleven years old.

She had been one of the most promising apprentices the archmage ever had and she had become a very powerful mage. Kelrian had seen what she was capable of. Like him, she had started learning how to use magic fifteen years ago but she was much better than him. She had lived all these years in Dalaran and studied hard while he had worked as a ranger, had trained his body or spent time with his lover and his family. He hadn't invested as many hours in reading books and practising spells as the young human, so it was only understandable that he was not as good as her. But he was not bad either.

Kelrian may not be as good as her but he was doing a lot better than many mages that had started their training years earlier than him. He was also very promising and impressed his teacher from time to time. He learned complicated spells faster than others and didn't need to spend as much mana as them.

His mentor assumed that he had large reserves that allowed him to cast more spells than others before getting mentor was sure that he would be a lot better if he would spend more time learning and practising but he understood that Kelrian didn't have the time for that.

Kelrian was working part-time as a ranger and also had to take care of his family. He had to be there for his children when they returned from school while Sylvanas was still working. He also trained them and he even wanted some time for himself. He spent his free time either with his children, with his family or with the love of his life. He was able to train every day but only for one or two hours. He only trained from Monday to Friday. Because of that, his progress was not as spectacular as Jaina's.

A small smile appeared on the female's face. "You didn't frighten me, Archmage Rhonin," she responded.

Rhonin sighed out in relief. "I'm glad then."

"Where are you going?" Jaina asked interested.

"To the Violet Citadel. I have to go to a meeting while Kelrian searches for his mentor. Where are you hurrying?"

"I have to go to the portal room."

Rhonin tilted his head, giving her a curious look. "To the portal room? Where are you travelling to?"

"Master Antonidas told me to go to Lordaeron and investigate something."

Rhonin got more curious than he already was. "May I know what you are investigating?"

"Of course you can. We heard about a plague in Lordaeron that seems to make the citizens sick. I have to investigate this and find out if we can do something about it," Jaina explained.

"Are you investigating this plague alone?" Kelrian asked interested.

The blonde woman shook her head. "No, I'm not. Someone is accompanying me. Someone I will meet in Lordaeron."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"

A weak smile could be seen on Jaina's beautiful lips. "A man I know pretty well and I haven't seen for a while. We were... very close..." Sadness could be seen in her eyes for a short moment.

Kelrian was trying to figure out who that man was. He remembered that Prince Arthas Menethil had visited Dalaran from time to time in the past and had always spent some time with Jaina. As far as Kelrian knew, they were very close friends. He was asking himself if she was referring to Arthas or if she meant someone else. He had no idea but he didn't want to pump her for details, so he didn't ask her who it was.

"I have to go now. I'm already a little late," admitted Jaina and blushed a little.

"I wish you good luck with your investigation."

"I wish the same," added Kelrian.

Jaina smiled at them. "Thank you." She bowed to Rhonin and Kelrian, said goodbye to them and hurried away. Kelrian's eyes rested on her until she vanished from his sight. "What a nice woman. I have only seen her from time to time but never spoken to her. She is very kind."

"Jaina is not only kind but also very ambitious. She wants to become better and better and use her powers only to protect people. She has a good heart and wants to help whenever she can," told Rhonin.

"I wonder who she is meeting in Lordaeron. I assume it is a friend of her or at least a man she knows very well."

"It wouldn't surprise me if King Terenas Menethil sends his son to this investigation."

Kelrian gave Rhonin a curious look. "So, you think Arthas Menethil is the person she talked about?"

Rhonin shrugged. "Could be possible. You know Arthas for a while, don't you?"

"I know him since he was eleven years old. I met him for the first time when Ranger-Captain Sweetblossom, Alleria and I met King Menethil to plan the defence of Lordaeron. I also met him in Silvermoon on the same day where he returned to Lordaeron with his family after they had stayed in the capital city for a few weeks. He was a curious boy who wanted nothing more than to make his parents proud of him and protect his people. I haven't spoken to him for a while but I don't think that his mindset had changed.I believe he still wants to help his people whenever he can. It would only make sense if he would also investigate this disease."

"We can only hope that everything goes right and the two find a way to stop this plague," said the red-haired mage.

Kelrian nodded but didn't say anything in response. He had to admit that he was worried about this new plague. He could only hope it was not a bad one that couldn't be cured. He was hoping that the plague wouldn't spread over the nearest territories and come to Quel'Thalas. His people were just slowly recovering from the losses of the Second War. The spreading of a deadly plague could have devastating consequences for his people. He could only pray to the Sunwell and hope for the best outcome.

Rhonin look at his pocket watch. "I really have to go now. We stayed here longer than I have Redhair is known for his punctuality and I want to keep that image up."

"I will see you later then," said Kelrian and gave him a nod.

"I won't come back before dinner in the evening. Tell our wives and Alleria that you can eat without me. I have no idea how long this meeting lasts."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "I thought this meeting is not important."

A small smile appeared on Rhonin's lips. "That doesn't have to mean it won't take long. Every meeting, even the unimportant ones last at least two hours. There are two certain persons, I won't name, who love to discuss long about unnecessary topics."

Kelrian patted his shoulder. "I wish you good luck then and keep my fingers crossed for a meeting that won't last for too long."

Rhonin chuckled. "Thanks, Kelrian."

Kelrian nodded.

"I will go then," announced Rhonin and rushed through the street, quickly disappearing out of Kelrian's sight. Kelrian looked at his own pocket watch, which had been a gift from Sylvanas, and noticed that he had ten minutes left.

He started to walk, not as fast as Rhonin but much faster than he usually walked. He followed the course of the street and came to a magnificent building. It was gigantic and by far the largest building in Dalaran. There was a large and thick tower around and in front of which lots of smaller towers was a large staircase that led to the entrance.

Kelrian didn't hesitate to climb it. He greeted the guards in front of the entrance as he walked through it and came into a huge entrance hall. There was a large and round violet pattern that decorated the middle of the walls were also decorated with different patterns. There were lots of doors and another staircase that led to a higher level.

Kelrian climbed the staircase and took the door to the right, following the bordering corridor until he came into a hall where lots of people were training. They practised various spells on dummies, mirror images or arcane elements that had been summoned for that purpose.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, quickly finding the man he was looking. Kael'thas Sunstrider was wearing a red, expensive-looking robe and watched the apprentices and other mages.

Kelrian lowered his head in respect and greeted him properly. He didn't greet him as his prince but as his mentor instead.

"Hello, Kelrian. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. And you, master?"

"I'm fine too. How is Sylvanas doing?"

"She doing good."

"And her sisters?"

"Vereesa is very happy is looking forward to the birth."

"When will the baby come?"

"In four months."

Kael'thas nodded, putting a strand of his magnificent blond hair behind his ear. His handsome finely chiselled features showed a relaxed expression. "Are you ready for your training?"

"I am."


	3. The Trip

"A hunting trip?" Sylvanas asked and looked at her lover who was standing in the door and leaning against the door frame.

Kelrian's eyes rested on her. She laid on their bed, the lower half of her body was covered by her blanket. "We haven't spent much time together besides the time we spent with our children or our families. I miss doing something with you alone, so I thought it would be a good idea to go on a hunt while the little ones stay the night in my family's house. My mother would love to look after Sylvera and Raesh for a night," he explained.

"You are right, we haven't had much time for ourselves in the past years. It's rare that we have some free time with two children, so I would love to go hunting with you. We haven't hunted for a while. I miss that feeling. I miss the thrill of the hunt."

Kelrian smiled. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to her, snuggling up to her. Sylvanas put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around him, closing her eyes as she started to relax. Kelrian intertwined their fingers and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, bringing it to his lips to kiss it from time to time. They laid on the bed for a while, enjoying the presence of the other.

They didn't know how much time had passed when someone knocked at the door. "Yes?" Sylvanas asked sleepily.

The door was opened a little andAlleria peeked through the slit. "Are you both awake?" she asked.

Sylvanas yawned. "I'm still tired but I'm awake. What do you want?"

"I just want to inform you that your children are ready to go."

Sylvanas nodded. "Tell them to wait. We will be there soon to say goodbye to them. Give us a few minutes."

"But only a few minutes," reminded Alleria and grinned at her younger sister. "Not that it would end like the last time where you told me that you will come in a few minutes but then you took almost an hour to go downstairs." Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about that, sis. We will come in a few minutes. This time for real."

"Good," replied Alleria and closed the door behind her a few moments later.

A loud yawn escaped Sylvanas' lips as she stretched her back. She removed the blanket and got up, walking to her wardrobe slowly. Her gaze rested on Kelrian, a smirk appeared on her lips as she noticed that his eyes rested on her almost nude form. She was wearing nothing but blue panties which only covered half of her ass cheeks. Her breasts were exposed, round and full.

Kelrian's eyes were glued to them. He was unable to avert his gaze. Only when Sylvanas turned her back to him, so he couldn't see them anymore, he was able to avert his gaze. But his gaze landed on her well-formed ass and still rested there even when she had put on brown leggings. Who could blame him? Her ass looked more than just good in these leggings.

Kelrian walked over to her and put one hand on her left ass cheek, squeezing it. He put his head on her shoulder and wrapped his arm around her from behind. He put his other hand on her muscular, still exposed belly and caressed it. His hand wandered up eventually and cupped one of her breasts, kneading it softly. A quiet moan escaped Sylvanas' lips and another was hearable when Kelrian kissed her neck softly and left a few love bites there.

"I can't get dressed when you sabotage me like this."

A grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Sabotage?" I don't know what you are talking about."

"I can't put on a bra or a top if you keep hugging me like this."

"What if I don't want you to get fully dressed?" he asked and put kisses on her left ear.

"You know that the kids are waiting for us, right?"

"I know that my love but it won't hurt them to wait a few minutes longer."

Sylvanas sighed. "But only a few minutes. You horny bastard."

Kelrian chuckled, not feeling insulted at all. She knew that she didn't mean it as an insult. She only said that to tease him. Kelrian's hand wandered until it reached the waistband of her leggings. He pulled on it and sneaked is hand beneath her leggings.

"I know you also enjoy it, you dirty bitch," he whispered in her ear. Sylvanas had her eyes closed, she was biting on her bottom lip to prevent that any loud moan could escape her lips. Her skin tingled in excitement, the tips of her ears were stiff and a wave of pleasure rushed through her body. Kelrian kissed her neck while his fingers worked wonders down there.

He made her feel good and brought her over the edge quickly. He pulled his hand out of the area between her legs, regarding the sticky liquid that stuck on his fingers. He went to the bathroom opposite to their bedroom, washed his hands and dried them. Then he returned to their room and gave his lover a teasing grin.

"Are you satisfied?" Sylvanas asked and gave him a similar smile.

"Only for the moment. Are you?"

"Only for the moment," she repeated and winked with her eye.

They turned their heads as they heard more knocks at the door. "Are you ready?" asked Alleria.

"Almost," said Sylvanas.

"Can I come in?"

"I'm not wearing any top or a bra yet. You can come in if you want but I've warned you."

The door was opened a second later and Alleria stepped in, closing the door right behind her. Her eyes landed on her sister who didn't care that her upper body was still exposed. Then her eyes landed on Kelrian who was standing next to her and handed her a blue bra. Sylvanas put the bra on and gave her sister a curious look. "I assume there is something important you want to tell me."

Alleria nodded. "A courier just arrived there with a message from the king."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "A message from the king?"

Her sister handed her an envelope. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to open it and read the letter in it. She put it on the nearest desk once she was done reading. "What does it say?" Alleria asked curiously.

"The king wants me to send a group of rangers and priests to Lordaeron. They should help Lord Uther, Prince Arthas Menethil and Lady Proudmoore dealing with the threats there.

"Threats?" Kelrian asked surprised.

"It seems that they found orcs who attacked a city but also undead creatures."

Kelrian frowned. "Undead creatures? You mean like the death knights that fought at the side of the Horde during the Second War?"

Sylvanas shrugged. "I have no idea if they mean death knights. The letter only mentions _undead creatures_."

"I can only hope that they didn't make more death knights out of corpses. These warriors had been very nasty during the war. They were pretty powerful and hard to kill," told Alleria.

"But we killed them in the end, so we can kill them again if there are death knights in Lordaeron, which I doubt."

"How many rangers and priests will you send out?"

Sylvanas made a thoughtful face. "What about two dozen rangers, four priests and two mages?" Sylvanas suggested.

"I think that's enough for the beginning. We can send more if they need more men but for now, thirty men should be enough. The mages will be very effective against these corpses. Fire is always good against any creature except for fire and water elementals," replied her sister.

Sylvanas nodded. "I will send the units of Ranger-Captain Sweetblossom and Ranger-Captain Brighthair to Lordaeron. I will also send High Priestess Liadrin and her unit."

"These groups belong to the best we have. I'm sure they will help the humans to handle these threats," said Kelrian.

"I'm sure they will. I don't know how dangerous these threats are but I want to have them gone as fast as possible. There is nothing else we have to take care of at this time. The Amani trolls are still hiding for fifteen years and our borders are secured. The Horde won't dare to attack us. They were only seen in Lordaeron and Prince Arthas killed one of their commanders. Not many orcs have been there so I don't believe we have to send out more men at first," replied Sylvanas.

Alleria agreed with her. "If they need more men then the mages can return to Silvermoon and ask for reinforcements." She received a nod from her sister.

Sylvanas walked over to the mirror and regarded herself. Kelrian had helped her to put on her chest guard and her shoulder blades while they had talked. Only her cape with the hood was missing for the moment. Kelrian brought it to her and helped her attach it.

"Are you going somewhere?" Alleria asked curiously.

"We'll go hunting."

Alleria was surprised. "You are hunting? You haven't hunted for years."

"I know, that's why we want to do it. We haven't had much time just for ourselves in the past years, so we want to make use of this opportunity and go hunting."

"That's not a bad idea."

"Mother could use the meat to make a nice meal for us. At least for those who eat meat," said Sylvanas.

"Basically everyone except for you."

Sylvanas nodded.

"Are you ready to say goodbye to your children, Lady Moon?"

"I am."

Alleria walked to the door, opened it and waited until everyone had left the room before she closed the door. They followed the corridor and walked downstairs, arriving in the living room eventually. Sylvera and Raesh were sitting on the couch and doing nothing at all.

Raesh wore half-long, brown trousers, brown shoes and a blue shirt without sleeves. Sylvera wore a similar outfit but instead of a shirt, she wore a red blouse with long sleeves. In front of each child stood a backpack that was filled with only necessary items. Items they would need for an overnight stay like toothbrushes, pyjamas and other items. The twins got up as soon as they saw their parents and their aunt, walking over to them.

"Good afternoon, my loves," said Sylvanas and hugged them, pressing kisses on their foreheads.

"Hello mom and dad," they said in unison. Sylvanas smiled and so did Kelrian.

"Are you ready for departure?" Kelrian asked. The twins nodded.

"Are you excited?"

They nodded again.

"Okay, let's see if Zendarin has created a portal to Suncrown Village in the meantime. He should be in the backyard. Why don't you go outside and look for him? We will join you soon"

The twins nodded at him and picked up their backpacks. Both ran as fast as possible because they wanted to be the first to leave the house. Kelrian told them to not run so fast but they have already left the room so they couldn't hear him.

Sylvanas chuckled and shook her head amused. "They are as euphoric as you are. They have all the time in the world but they still ran as fast as possible because they can't wait to see their grandmother."

"They love her and not only because she gives them lots of sweets."

"Liana is a wonderful woman."

Kelrian smiled. "She is, you are right about that."

"Why don't we visit her and go hunting in the nearest forest to Suncrown Village?" Sylvanas asked and stared into his eyes, wanting to know what he was thinking about this idea.

"That's a good idea, I like that. I rarely visit her and Varo. They usually come to us so do my siblings."

Sylvanas put an arm around his waist. "We should do that then."

"Good, let's go to the little ones," he said and slapped Sylvanas' butt. She gave him a wide grin and elbowed him gently. Alleria rolled her eyes and walked forward without commenting on what she had just seen. The couple followed her and left the house, arriving in the backyard.

The ground was covered by green grass, lots of trees stood on the left and right sides. There was a greenhouse in the back half and a large table with lots of chairs near the pond in which lots of ducks were swimming. The croaking of frogs was hearable so were the buzzing of bees and the twittering of birds.

The three rangers spotted Raesh, Sylvera and Zendarin quickly. They were standing in front of the pond next to a portal which was large enough that two persons could walk through it at the same time. Zendarin was sitting on a chair and held his cat in his arms. It was a cute little cat that was not much older than three months. It had brown fur and green eyes. The twins were regarding it and even caressing it.

Zendarin put the cat on the ground and got up when his cousins and Kelrian approached him. Zendarin wore a blue robe, his fire-red hair was loose and reached to his shoulders. "Good morning, cousins. Good morning, Kelrian," he said and shook their hands.

The two sisters and Kelrian greeted them in return. "How are you doing?" asked Alleria.

"I'm fine. And you?"

"We are fine as well."

"The portal doesn't last for too long so I would suggest to say goodbye to your children and let them go through it before it closes."

"Kelrian and I are coming with them," said Sylvanas.

Raesh and Sylvera's faces reflected surprise. "You are?" the boy asked curiously.

"Yes, we want to meet your grandmother too but we won't stay for long. We will go on a hunt and won't return before tomorrow."

"But you will pick us up tomorrow, right? Or do we have to go ride home?" asked Sylvera.

Kelrian smiled. "Of course not. We will return to the house of your grandmother and pick you up. I will open a portal so we don't have to travel back to Windrunner Spire."

Sylvera nodded.

"Are you ready?" their mother asked. Sylvera and Raesh nodded. Sylvanas looked at Zendarin. "See you soon

Her cousin nodded. "Have fun."

Sylvanas' gaze fell back on her children. "Alright, you will go first." They nodded and walked through the portal together. Alleria wished them good luck and received thankful nods in return. Sylvanas took Kelrian's hand, stared into his eyes for a few moments before she walked with him through the portal. They came out in front of a house made out of white concrete. The roof was covered by red tiles and the front garden was not too large.

The couple and their children walked to the door and Kelrian knocked at it. The door was opened a few moments later by Kelrian's mother Liana who was regarding them with a happy smile on her lips. She greeted her grandchildren first and hugged them. Sylvera didn't mind the long hug but Raesh didn't like to be hugged so long. Nevertheless, he didn't say anything and just waited until his grandmother pulled away.

Sylvanas was the next one who was hugged by Liana. Then it was Kelrian's turn to be hugged. He put a hand on his mother's back and caressed it slowly. Liana smiled as she pulled away, regarded the four for a few moments and then requested them to come in. Kelrian and his little family didn't hesitate to enter the house and take off their shoes, placing them in front of the shoe cupboard.

Everyone followed Liana who brought them to the living room of her and her lover's house. The pieces of furniture were simple and not extravagant. They were made out of solid wood but still looked pretty good. The carpet that covered the ground had a beautiful pattern. It was a mandala. There were no wall paintings or pictures that decorated the walls but there were heads of animals that hung on the opposite wall.

Kelrian remembered that his mother's boyfriend was a hunter. He was very good with a bow but he only hunted animals. Unlike Kelrian and Sylvanas, he was not a Farstrider, so he didn't use his skills to kill the enemies of the Alliance. He didn't want to participate in any battles if it wouldn't be necessary. Hunting was more like a hobby for him. He was working as an author of children's books.

There were the heads of deer, wild boars, lynxes and even lions. There were no lions in Quel'Thalas, so Kelrian assumed that Varo had hunted in other territories. On the right side of the living room was a green couch in front of which a small table was standing. There was a large table in the middle of the room around which six chairs were standing.

Liana led her guests over to the couch and sat down, waiting until the others sat. "It's good to see you. I have missed you all."

"We missed you too, grandma," said Sylvera and smiled at her. Liana put her right hand on her head, caressing her scalp softly. Her other hand rested on her lap. It was an artificial limp so she couldn't do much with it. She could neither hold something with it or do anything else with it. It was just for show so she looked complete.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat?" she asked.

Kelrian shook his head. Sylvanas told her that she just wanted water and the twins told her that they wanted to drink some juice. Liana got up, left the room and came back a few minutes later with a tray she carried with only one hand. There were three glasses and a bowl of sweets on it. The blue eyes of the twins widened, the corners of their lips formed happy smiles. They waited until their grandmother had placed the tray on the small table, then they pounced on the didn't argue about them, instead, they divided them fairly.

The adults regarded them while they ate the sweets happily and drank their strawberry juice. "Where is Varo?" Kelrian asked eventually.

"He is in Silvermoon with his daughters but he promised me to return before the evening. How long will you be away?"

"We will return tomorrow but we don't know yet when we will return," answered Sylvanas.

"Take your time. You are not in a rush. Stay away as long as you want. I don't mind having them for another night."

"We will keep that in mind," said Sylvanas.

"What will you do?" Liana asked interested.

"We are going on a hunt," said Kelrian.

"Orcs and trolls or wild boards and deer?"

"The last one. The trolls are still hiding from us, so are the orcs that had escaped the internment camps and follow their new leader Thrall. A small group of them had been spotted in Lordaeron but Prince Arthas Menethil and his men took care of them."

Liana's eyes reflected worry. "I hope history won't repeat itself. I don't want another war against these creatures."

Kelrian put a strand of his mother's blonde hair behind her ear and gave her a comforting smile. "They are far too weak to pose a threat to us. We defeated them fifteen years ago when they had a lot more warriors and even dragons. We would defeat them again if they dare to attack us. Don't worry about them."

His mother nodded and put her good hand on her lap, stroking over the soft silk of her blue dress. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It was fifteen o'clock. "We should go. We have to pick up two horses and ride to the nearest forest which will take at least an hour."

"You are right. We won't have much time before it would become dark if we wait for too long," said Kelrian.

Liana and the twins got up with them and accompanied them to the door. "Stay safe," said Liana and hugged them.

"Don't worry," her son said. "We will. We went on many hunts, so I'm sure this one will run smoothly."

Sylvanas looked at her children. "And you will listen to your grandmother and don't get up to mischief. Is that clear?"

Raesh and Sylvera nodded. "We will behave well," promised the girl.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Sylvanas smiled and ran her fingers through their hair. "We will return tomorrow. Have fun and don't annoy your grandmother too much, okay?"

They nodded. Liana brought them to the exit. Kelrian and Sylvanas said goodbye to her and her children who wished them good luck. They waited until Liana had closed the door behind them, then they turned around and left the property. They followed the plastered road until they came to a stable. It was a large and long building made out of wood, its roof was covered by straw.

They entered the stable and spotted a young man, in dirty dungarees and an old shirt, mucking out one of the loose boxes where the horses were held. He put the pitchfork aside as he spotted the potential costumers. He wiped a strand of black hair out of his face and walked over to them, lowering his head in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ranger-General. The same counts for you Ranger-Lieutenant Sunsinger."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. Are you the owner of the stable?" Sylvanas asked.

The man shook his head. "No, that's my father. He must be somewhere in the near."

"Do we have to speak to him or can you lend us two horses for two days?"

The man thought about it for a moment. "I think it's better if you speak to my father. I assume you want our best horses and I'm not allowed to lend our best horses to anyone, so you have to talk to him."

"Bring us to our father, please," Kelrian requested politely.

The man nodded and signalized them to follow him. They walked through the stable until they came to the last two loose boxes in front of which a man was standing who wore similar clothing and had similar facial features to the stable boy. It was unmistakable that he was the stable boy's father and the owner of this place.

A surprised expression appeared on the man's face as he noticed who was visiting his stable. It was visible in his eyes that he would have never expected to see the Ranger-General in his stable. He wiped his hand on his shirt, which was not as old and ragged as his son's, then he gave Sylvanas his hand who shook it without hesitation. "I greet you, Ranger-General. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," responded Sylvanas and gave him a small smile.

The man ignored Kelrian entirely and just looked at Sylvanas. He hadn't even greeted Kelrian and it didn't seem that he intended to. "How can I help you?"

"We need two horses for two days."

"I assume that you want the best of the best," the man said and pointed at the two loose boxes behind him. In the right box was a white horse with a black mane. In the left box was a brown horse with a blond mane. Both horses were male and looked very fit.

"They look good," complimented Kelrian.

"Thank you," said the owner. "I'm glad you like them."

"How much do they cost?" Sylvanas asked.

"Each cost fifty gold a day."

"Fifty gold, that's a lot," said Kelrian and raised a brow, eying the owner closely.

"They are the best in the region. I can guarantee that. Besides, I'm sure the Ranger-General earns enough money to afford both of them for two days."

Sylvanas stared into the owner's eyes. "Forty."

The owner returned the staring. "Forty-five."

"Forty," Sylvanas repeated and tilted her head a little. The owner held eye contact for a few moments but then looked away nervously. "Forty," he said eventually, his voice was much quieter than before.

A satisfied smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "I'm glad we came to an agreement. I will give you the money in advance, so I hope your horses are as good as you promised."

"They won't disappoint you," the owner said and opened the boxes, allowing Kelrian and Sylvanas to guide the horses out of the stable.

The owner and his son saddled the horses, so Sylvanas and Kelrian could finally climb on them and take the reins in their hands. Sylvanas gave the owner one last glance and said goodbye to him and his son before she looked at her lover who signalized her that he was ready. They spurred their horses, making them start moving. The horses followed the road, leaving Suncrown Village rather quickly.

They were greeted by travellers, traders and citizens of Quel'Thalas while they followed the long road to the east. They greeted them in return but didn't stop riding. Their horses galloped as fast as they could and arrived after an hour in the forest they were looking for. They let their horses stop in front of the forest and dismounted, guiding them to the nearest trees which were not too thick, so they could bind the reins around the tree trunks. That way the horses wouldn't be able to run away.

"Are you ready?" Sylvanas asked.

"I have my bow and twenty-four arrows, so I think I'm ready."

"Let's go then. You still remember what we have to keep in mind while hunting?"

Kelrian lowered his voice. "We have to be quiet and take careful steps to avoid that we make any noises while moving."

Sylvanas' voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Exactly."

She took her bow from her back and regarded it for a few moments. Her bow didn't look similar to the bows most rangers used. It was clearly visible that these bows were made out of wood. Sylvanas' bow was also made out of wood, the best wood in Quel'Thalas, but it was splendidly decorated that it seemed it was made out of a different material.

It looked like it was made out of iron and coloured in blue and silver. Sylvanas could use an iron bow if she wanted. It would be more stable and better for blocking a blow from a weapon but she preferred bows made out of wood. They were a lot lighter and easier to repair.

Also, the bow had been enchanted so that it wouldn't break that easily. Kelrian's bow was also made out of the best wood in Quel'Thalas but it was not splendidly decorated like Sylvanas'. But he didn't mind that. He didn't need a good-looking bow. He just needed one that was light and good for shooting arrows.

Sylvanas was the one who entered the forest first and Kelrian didn't hesitate to follow her. They made no noises whenever their feet came in contact with the dry ground that was covered by green grass and lots of branches. Their eyes rested on the ground because they were looking for footprints of wild animals that might have crossed this place some time ago. Their pointed ears were very useful in catching animal noises. They had a far better hearing than humans, so could hear even the smallest animal from a much further distance.

They could hear the quiet twittering of birds in the far and they could hear some squirrels in the treetops. They could even hear mice, frogs and rabbits. But they weren't looking for these little creatures. They would have to hunt lots of them if they wanted to satisfy the hunger of every member of the Windrunner family.

Instead, they were looking for wild boars, bears or deer. Even lynxes were fine. They looked for tracks but they didn't find any within the first half-hour. But then they spotted a trail. Sylvanas squatted down and run her hand over the ground. There were footprints of an animal that had two toes, which tips were rounded, and two dewclaws.

"The tracks are fresh," analysed Sylvanas.

"These are boar tracks, aren't they?"

Sylvanas looked up at him and nodded. "They are. I don't think the boar is far away from us and it is alone."

"It seems to be fully grown," added Kelrian.

"Seems so. And pretty heavy, judging by the depth of the footprints."

"You are right,"

"Come, let's follow this trail," said Sylvanas and got up, following the tracks with her lover. They found the wild boar eventually. It was resting next to a small river and was drinking out of it. It was over four feet tall and nearly six and a half feet long. It was pretty thick and had dirty, brown fur.

"That's a big one," whispered Kelrian and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He drew his bow, knocked an arrow and aimed at the spot near the knee of its right foreleg. There was the boar's heart. The animal was still drinking, so it had no idea what was awaiting it. Kelrian let the arrow loose. It would have been a perfect hit if the boar wouldn't have moved at the last moment. The arrow didn't hit the animal's heart but its belly.

A painful cry escaped the animal's snout. The boar started to run, so did Kelrian. The boar was pretty heavy so it was not very fast. Kelrian followed it easily and drew his bow again, aiming while running. He shot another arrow which hit the boar's right back leg, causing that it became slower. Kelrian aimed again, whispering a few words to enchant his next arrow. Thanks to the enchantment, the arrow pierced through the boar's thick skin and its heart with no problem. The boar stopped after a few seconds and collapsed.

Kelrian rushed over to the animal and tested if it was already dead. It was. Sylvanas squatted down next to him and pulled the arrows out.

She put her hand on Kelrian's shoulder and patted it. "That was good. It seems you didn't forget how to hunt."

Kelrian smiled. "Of course not. I may not have hunted for years but that doesn't mean I forgot everything."

Sylvanas returned the smile and kissed his right cheek.

"Do we bring it back to the horses? Or what do we do now?"

"You will bring it to the horses."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "And what will you do?"

"I will hunt another animal. Maybe even a deer or a lynx. Do you remember where my cabin is?"

"You mean the one where we had our first date?"

Sylvanas nodded.

"Then I remember where it is," said Kelrian.

"Good. Meet me there."

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?"

Sylvanas chuckled. "I have hunted on my own since I was sixteen. Sometimes I hunt with someone but most of the times I hunt alone. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Kelrian put his hands on her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "I believe you."

Sylvanas stepped on her tiptoes and leaned in, pressing her lips against his. Kelrian returned the kiss, sneaking his tongue in her mouth once her lips were parted. Sylvanas did the same and let her tongue engage a fight for dominance which she won easily. They held this passionate kiss as long as possible, only pulling away then they ran out of air.

They stared into each other's eyes while drawing heavy breaths. Their hearts were beating rapidly in their chests, their skins tingled in excitement. Sylvanas licked her lips and gave Kelrian a satisfied smile. "That was a very good kiss."

Kelrian mimicked her smile. "You can say that again."

They held gazes for a while, not knowing how much time had passed when they averted their gazes. "Take the boar and go to the horses. I will hunt another animal and then come to the cabin."

"See you later my love," Kelrian said and lifted the boar up with Sylvanas' help, putting it on his shoulders and his back. It was heavy but he was able to carry it. He looked at Sylvanas for the last time before he turned around and walked towards the place where they had left the horses. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to head in the opposite direction, her gaze rested on the ground as she searched for more animal trails.


	4. Just A Casual Bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an explicit sex scene in the middle of this chapter. I will mark the begin and the end with lines and bold letters. If you don't want to read it just scroll down until you spot the next line. It's okay to skip it if you don't want to read such erotic scenes. The scene is unimportant for the plot. But the scene after it is, so don't miss it.

Kelrian made the horse stop in front of his destination and dismounted. He walked over to the veranda and removed his dirty shoes before he stepped on the smooth wooden floor. He walked over to the wooden door and knocked at it. He didn't need to wait for too long for the door to be opened. Sylvanas stepped outside and regarded him with widened eyes.

"What happened?" she asked as her eyes roamed over his mud-stained uniform.

"I stumbled over a root and fell," he blushed a little, still feeling ashamed that he had overseen the thick root.

Sylvanas frowned. "But the forest's ground was dry," she replied doubtingly.

"I took another route because I thought it was a short cut. The ground was much muddier there, I learned that the hard way."

Sylvanas shook her head amused. "You are doing things, Kel. I don't want you to make the inside of the cabin filthy. There is a lake in the near. Let's go there so you can wash yourself and your clothes. I could use a bath too. The deer I was chasing was very fast and it was pretty warm so I sweat a lot. I don't want to smell bad, so I have to take a bath too."

Kelrian smirked. "I wouldn't mind if you smell bad."

"I know. But now that you are taking a bath anyway, I want to join you."

Kelrian's smile became wider. "I would love that."

"Just let me bring the boar inside, then we can go."

Kelrian nodded, so Sylvanas walked over to the horse on which the boar had been bound and removed the ropes that held it. Kelrian helped her to put the boar on her back. "I can help you carrying it inside," Kelrian offered.

"It's fine, my dear. I'm not weak."

"I was not implying that. I just wanted to make things easier for you."

Sylvanas smiled. "I appreciate your offer but I can handle it alone. Besides, I don't want you to make the inside dirty. I don't want to clean later."

Kelrian nodded and said nothing in response. His eyes rested on Sylvanas as she walked over to the entrance and entered the house. She returned a few minutes later and walked to Kelrian who had tied his horse to the railing of the veranda in the meantime.

"The lake is not far away so we don't need our horses. We can walk the distance," told Sylvanas.

"I don't mind walking, honey."

Sylvanas smiled and took his hand, intertwining their fingers. She regarded him closely. Not only his uniform was dirty but also his skin. He had cleaned his face as best as possible but mud still stuck in his blond hair, so lots of strands of hair stuck together. It was smelling bad just like his uniform.

Sylvanas caressed his cheeks for a few moments before she started to move and dragged him with her. But Kelrian didn't need to be dragged. He followed her voluntarily. They walked for fifteen minutes until they came to the place they were looking for.

It was a very large clearing with a lake in its middle. The grass around it was green, there were no larger plants or animals. They were alone. They stopped about thirty feet away from the lake and regarded the beautiful blue surface. Kelrian muttered a few phrases, his hand rested on the spellblade that hang on his belt while he did that.

Two shapes appeared next to them once he was finished. They looked exactly like him. Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Why did you create two copies of yourself?"

"They will check our surroundings and look out for unwanted visitors. I don't want that anyone watches us while bathing," Kelrian answered.

"Wouldn't it be more effective to let more of these copies check the surroundings? Two are not effective enough."

"You are right but creating more than two would cost me much more power and I don't want to spend too much of my power for the case that something happens."

"It's very unlikely that something would happen but I appreciate your care. It doesn't hurt to be careful. And about the unwanted watchers, I don't really mind them. But if you feel better that way, you can send them out."

Kelrian removed one of his gloves and put his hand on her left cheek, caressing it softly while staring into her eyes. Sylvanas' lips formed a smile, she put her hand on his and brought it to her lips, kissing it. She ran her thumb over his knuckles and then over the silver ring and the blue crystal that was attached to it.

"You should take it off. It would be a shame if you would lose it," said Sylvanas.

"You are right," responded her lover.

"Shall I remove it?"

He nodded. Sylvanas removed the ring and put it in the leather pouch that hung on his belt. Then she took off her own ring and put it in the pouch that hung on her belt. "I hope one of your creations watches over our stuff."

Kelrian looked at one of his copies, receiving a nod from it. "It will," replied Kelrian and looked back at Sylvanas. The other copy walked away and disappeared in the forest. "My copies can see as good and hear as good as I can. They will notice any intruder before they come too close to us."

"I told you that I wouldn't mind that someone would see us."

The corners of Kelrian's lips formed a small smile. "I know."

Sylvanas was unable to avert her gaze so she stared into Kelrian's eyes for a few minutes. Kelrian put a hand on her back and pulled her closer, pressing his lips on hers. She returned the kiss and extended it by inserting her tongue in his mouth. The kiss lasted long and was full of passion, leaving the couple breathless as they pulled away.

Sylvanas put her hands behind her back and removed her chest guard, dropping it to the ground. She smirked as she noticed that Kelrian's eyes were drawn to her breasts that were still covered by a red bra. She removed her bra, her grin became wider as she realized that Kelrian's eyes reflected desire.

"Do you like what you see?" Sylvanas asked. Her voice was quiet and sounded flirtatious.

Kelrian parted his lips to say something but no sounds escaped his lips. He could only stare at Sylvanas and nod. Sylvanas' smirk became wider but she didn't do anything else. She just looked at him and licked her lip in the sexiest way possible. Kelrian gulped, assuming what was awaiting him.

The look on her face was enough to tell him that she was pretty horny. He couldn't hold that against her because they hadn't done it for a while. Both of them had been very busy recently. Kelrian was always busy with his training and the training of their children and Sylvanas had her duties and responsibilities as Ranger-General. There had been lots of meetings she had attended in the past two months. These were the main reasons why they hadn't been able to spend much time together.

"Do you want to see more?" she whispered in his ear and stepped away, giving in a teasing grin.

Kelrian nodded.

"I can't hear you, honey. You have to speak to me if you want anything from me."

"I want to see more of you, my love," he responded.

Sylvanas' grin became wider. "But first you remove your upper body clothing."

Kelrian nodded and obeyed, removing his usually blue chest guard that currently had a brown colour because of the dried mud that stuck on it. He removed the thin coats of chain mail beneath it and then the white shirt. He was not surprised that Sylvanas' eyes roamed over his muscular upper body and took a closer look at every inch. His broad chest, his six-pack and his muscular arms were a feast to Sylvanas' lustful eyes. She licked her lips again, biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

He was sexy and he knew that, so he could understand that she enjoyed what she was seeing. He didn't make a comment about the way she regarded him. She stepped closer to him and put her hands on his chest, letting them wander and caress his skin. She ignored the bad smell and put a few kisses on his neck. Then she stepped on her tiptoes and pecked on his lips for a few times before she pulled away again.

She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her leggings and pulled them down slowly. Very slowly. Too slowly for Kelrian's liking but he held back. He wanted to take over and pull her leggings down. He wanted nothing more than undressing her and fucking her. He wanted her so badly at this moment and he knew she wanted him the same way. He wanted her but he knew that she was the one in control, she always was, so he held back and allowed her to continue teasing him.

She had fully removed her leggings eventually and dropped them next to her chest guard and her bra. She wore sexy red panties that barely covered her womanhood. Kelrian's gaze rested on her smooth legs first and then shifted to the area between her juicy upper thighs. Kelrian senses the fire between his legs, he noticed the desire that was building up in him faster than expected. His skin tingled in excitement and his throat felt dry. He couldn't deny that he was aroused. Sylvanas' almost nude body was enough to let him lose his reason.

The desire was overwhelming him slowly but he held back. He had to because Sylvanas wanted it. She always wanted to be the one in control and it was up to her what he was allowed to do and what not. He didn't mind that. He didn't mind that she was the dominant one. He was happy as long as he had her and could spend time with her and even have sex with her. He was happy with their role distribution.

Sylvanas hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and pulled them down, revealing her womanhood which was free from any hair. Kelrian licked his lips, so did Sylvanas as she saw the bump in his crotch. Her nude form really turned him on. She had expected that. She gave him a teasing grin and stepped closer to him, her eyes rested on his crotch when she unbuttoned his leggings and pulled them down. She allowed Kelrian to remove his shoes and put his leggings aside.

"Shouldn't we wash first before we do something like that?" Kelrian asked and stared into her eyes. Sylvanas returned his staring but didn't say anything. One of her hands rested on his chest and caressed it while the other found its way between his legs. Sylvanas' smiled widely as she found out how hard he already was.

She kissed him and her hand touched the stiff thing but only through the cloth of his trunks. She didn't pull his trunks down nor did she sneak her hand in it. She teased him while kissing him passionately. Kelrian only returned her kisses and even slipped his tongue in her mouth but other than that he didn't do anything.

Sylvanas broke the kiss, regarding him from head to toe with a smirk on her lips. She signalized him to get in the water which he did after he had removed his trunks. Sylvanas' blue eyes rested on the area between his legs which was no longer covered by the piece of cloth. She licked her lips again, noticing that she had already gotten a little wet. She didn't need to touch her nipples to know they were stiff already. They stood upright and demanded to be touched.

Kelrian sat down in the lake and turned his head, looking at her. Sylvanas picked up her backpack and pulled a tin out. She threw it over to Kelrian who caught it with one hand. "Is that your shampoo?" he asked after regarding it closely.

"Yes, it is," responded Sylvanas as she dipped her feet in the water. The temperature was pleasant. Sunlight was shining down on the surface and warming up the water. "You will need it to remove the mud and fix your hair."

Kelrian nodded to her and waited until she had sat next to him in the water that reached to their navels. Kelrian put an arm around her and pressed a kiss on her temple.

"Why don't you lean back and let me wash your hair?" Sylvanas asked.

Kelrian just nodded and leaned back, resting his head on the ground of the edge of the lake. His hair and most of his head were in the water but his face wasn't. His eyes were closed as Sylvanas ran her fingers through his hair, freeing it from the dried mud as best as she could. Lots of strands of hair were still stuck together, so she put a large blob of shampoo on the palm of her hand and spread it in his hair.

It was laborious but she managed to free his hair from any mud and wash it properly. She also washed his body with the same shampoo which could be used for body and hair.

She put a kiss on his lips, telling him that she was done. Kelrian lifted his upper body up and waited until his hair had stopped dripping, then he opened his eyes and smiled as he looked at Sylvanas. The blonde beauty was still sitting next to him, one hand rested on his chest while the other caressed his cheeks. Kelrian leaned in to kiss her, feeling his lover's tongue in his mouth faster than expected. Their kiss was short but passionate, making both of them want more.

* * *

**(Begin of the explicit sex scene)**

But they didn't kiss again. Instead, they stared at each other until Sylvanas decided to take the next step. She told Kelrian to get out of the water and sit down on the edge of the lake. Kelrian didn't question her and obeyed her. Sylvanas crawled over to him until she sat directly in front of him. She put a hand on his chest and pushed until his back rested on the ground.

She spread his legs, her smile became wider as she regarded the large rod between his legs. Kelrian was over six feet and six inches tall, so it was only natural that his dick was large because it had to be proportional to his total size.

Kelrian repeated a question Sylvanas had asked earlier. "Do you like what you see?"

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip in anticipation and nodded. Kelrian smirked but didn't say anything. Sylvanas' gaze rested on his face for a few moments before it wandered until it rested on his thick member again. Sylvanas enclosed one hand around it and began to rub it but only slowly at first. Kelrian's eyes were open and rested on her but he didn't say anything. Just as she increased her rubbing speed, he parted his lips so a quiet moan could escape. Sylvanas smirked but didn't stop rubbing the large thing with her hand.

She added the other hand so she could touch much more of his dick. He was enjoying what she was doing, she didn't even have to look at him to know that. The frequent moans that escaped his lips were proof enough. She was good at what she was doing and he didn't want her to stop, he even moaned her name from time to time.

Hearing her name escape his lips made her happier but also hornier than she already was. She wanted to hear him say her name more often and much louder but she didn't lose her patience. She controlled herself and kept pleasuring her lover with her hands instead of pouncing on him and inserting his thick member in her tight, needy pussy.

She decided to extend her foreplay a little longer. She leaned forward and took his manhood between her breasts, putting her hands on them so she could rub them against his cock. Kelrian tilted his head back, his eyes were closed and his lips were parted. He couldn't prevent that much louder moans escaped his lips but he didn't mind that because he didn't want to deny Sylvanas this satisfaction. His moans were music to her long ears.

Sylvanas loved the sounds that were produced when she rubbed her big breasts against his big cock but she also loved letting the tip of her tongue flicker over the tip of his cock which she did at the moment. She tasted the precum that stuck on his glans and didn't stop using her tongue to make him feel good. She felt Kelrian's hand on her head and his fingers in her hair. She didn't mind that so she didn't tell him to remove his hand. He pulled on her hair lightly but the pain she felt was almost non-existent.

Sylvanas pleasured him like this for a while before she decided to do the next step. She pulled his dick out of her boobs, gave it a few strokes and took as much of his dick as possible in her mouth. Kelrian's moans, that escaped his lips in an irregular rhythm, became louder and louder, and developed into a melody of moans. Her eyes rested on his face, which reflected the pleasure he felt, while she sucked his dick.

Sylvanas was so good at what she was doing that she didn't need long to bring him close to his climax. She knew that he would cum soon if she would continue but she didn't stop. She licked over the tip of his member until she felt his dick twitch. A few seconds passed, Kelrian shouted her name and then a warm sticky liquid shot out of his dick inside her mouth. She waited until he had filled her, then she pulled his dick out of her mouth.

She couldn't prevent that a little amount of his cum flowed out her mouth and dropped from her chin but she closed her mouth immediately and regarded him for a few moments before swallowing this white and sticky secretion. She had to admit that it tasted good.

Kelrian needed a few moments to pull himself together but then he lifted his upper body up and stared at her. "That was awesome. I nearly forgot how good you are with your hands and mouth."

Sylvanas smirked, wiping the cum off her face with the back of her hand. "Thank you, my dear." She crawled into the water, signalizing Kelrian to come. He didn't hesitate to get in the water again, sitting down near the shore. The water reached only half of their upper bodies.

Sylvanas didn't hesitate to sit down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She stared into his eyes for a few moments before she kissed him. Kelrian returned the kiss as expected and parted his lips, allowing her tongue to enter his mouth. Her tongue went wild in his mouth, her fingernails glided over his back, leaving red scratching marks on his skin. A quiet hiss was Kelrian's only reaction. He ignored the pain and held the kiss as long as possible. He pulled away eventually, taking deep breaths to inhale as much oxygen as possible.

His eyes didn't leave hers, not even as he felt her hand around his still erected member. He knew what Sylvanas would do next and he didn't stop her. A loud moan escaped Sylvanas' lips as she inserted his manhood in her pussy. Her inner walls wrapped tightly around his member, making him feel very good. But he was not the only one who felt the immense pleasure. Sylvanas' tight inner walls were stretched by his massive thing that rubbed against them as Kelrian began to move his hips up and down, slowly at first.

He didn't want to hurt her, so he allowed her body to get used to the large _intruder_ before he would start to penetrate her walls. Sylvanas didn't break eye contact because she loved to stare into his gorgeous eyes. The lust and desire in his eyes were clearly visible and Sylvanas was sure her eyes were reflecting the same.

She was very happy to feel him inside her. She needed him and was happy to have him. He made her feel good but not good enough. Not yet. But he would make her feel as good as she wanted to feel. He would satisfy her needs, she was sure of that. She had slept with him often enough to know that he was an excellent lover.

She had had many lovers before him but none of them had been as good as Kelrian. He was by far the best lover she ever had. And by far the most handsome lover. She had noticed he was experienced the first time they had made love. He had had lovers before her but she was not jealous because of that. She was not a jealous person in general. She knew she was by far better than any women he ever had before. He had never told her this but she still knew could read it in his eyes whenever they made love.

Sylvanas started to move her hips, allowing him to pump his cock in and out, which was hitting her g-spot from time to time. His pace was slow at first but got faster over time the more relaxed her inner walls became.

Kelrian could feel that her pussy had fully gotten used to his size, so he started to move his hips much faster than before. Sylvanas tried to hold their eye contact as long as possible but she couldn't help and close her eyes after a few minutes. That way the pleasure she felt was more intense **.** She bit her bottom lip hard but she couldn't prevent that moans escaped her lips. They were quiet at first but became much louder and more frequent the longer Kelrian penetrated her.

Sylvanas' upper body was pressed against his, her face was buried in his neck, allowing her to leave hot kisses on it. She kissed his neck and even bit him from time to time, marking him that way. The love bites on his neck wouldn't disappear within the next few days but he didn't mind that.

One of Kelrian's hand was tangled in her hair while the other rested on her back and caressed it at first. It wandered down eventually until it rested on her well-formed ass. Sylvanas didn't stop him from kneading her butt cheeks because it made her feel much better than she already felt.

Waves of pleasure rushed through her body and made her feel good. She had no words to describe how good she felt. But she didn't need to find any words because she wouldn't have to tell her lover how good he made her feel. He knew that already. All she had to do was to make sure he wouldn't stop. But she didn't need to tell him to continue because he was doing this on his own accord.

He moved his hips, pushing his cock in and out constantly. He hit her g-spot in a constant rhythm, making her moan out his name from time to time. Her name also escaped his lips but a lot oftener. His eyes were open and rested on Sylvanas' lovely face. She opened her eyes and stared into his. Their faces reflected nothing but lust and desire. They needed each other so badly and they didn't stop making the other feel good by moving their hips.

Sylvanas felt her climax approaching faster than expected. She wanted to tell Kelrian to slow down but no intelligible words escaped her lips. Only moans and cries of pleasure came out of her mouth. She could signalize him to slow down but she didn't do that. She was overwhelmed by the pleasure she felt, so she could do nothing else than letting it happen.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, the area between her legs was burning and her skin tingled nervously. Her inner walls contracted a few moments later, a loud moan escaped her lips followed by her lover's name. She cried his name as she came, her head rested on his chest as she rode out her orgasm.

She was breathing heavily but she wasn't able to relax yet. Kelrian pressed her tightly against himself as the pleasure overwhelmed him. His dick twitched and a large amount of cum shot out and filled her up. His grip loosened eventually and he relaxed. He held her and pressed his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

They remained in this position for a few moments, then they pulled away and looked at each other. Sylvanas put her hands on his cheeks and caressed them, kissing him eventually. The kiss was short but passionate.

"I needed this so badly," whispered Kelrian after some time.

"The same counts for me," replied Sylvanas and rested her head on his shoulder. Kelrian put his hand on her head and ran his fingers through her blonde hair, toying with a few strands of hair.

"I can't get enough of you. If it were up to me, I would do nothing but making love to you every day and every night."

A sad smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips but it was only visible for a few seconds. "Unfortunately, we have duties to fulfil. We have responsibilities. Our occupations, your training and the training of our children. I am responsible for the safety of our people. I would love to spend every single minute in bed with you and fuck you until your balls would hurt but we cannot do that."

Kelrian put a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at her. "I'm happy with how things are. There is nothing that bothers me. Everything is perfect and I hope everything remains as it is."

Sylvanas caressed his chin. "I hope the same," she whispered and pulled him in another passionate kiss.

**(End of the erotic scene)**

* * *

Sylvanas laid in the middle of the bed, she was totally naked and breathing heavily. Her body was covered in sweat, her hair was tousled. She turned her head and looked at Kelrian who propped his head on his fist and looked at her. He put his hand on her hip and pulled her closer.

"That was quite something. I was sceptical at first when you suggested me this but you proved that this also makes fun."

"I've never done it before but I thought you liked it," Kelrian said and looked at the person who was lying next to Sylvanas.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the same person, witnessing that he dissolved in front of her eyes. She looked back at Kelrian. "I never had a threesome before, especially not with the same person."

Kelrian smirked. "Mirror images, clones and doubles can be pretty useful outside combat."

"I know that now," Sylvanas said and stared into his eyes. Kelrian put his hand on her shoulder, caressing it softly. "Are you okay?"

Sylvanas nodded. "My butt hurts but I'm fine."

"Did you enjoy it?"

She nodded again. "But I don't want to repeat it any soon. It was good but I prefer being with you alone."

Kelrian smirked. "You were alone with me. You, my clone and I."

Sylvanas hit his shoulder playfully. "You know how I meant it."

He nodded and pulled her closer, pressing her head against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and caressed the back of her head. Sylvanas closed her eyes and enjoyed the close body contact. She opened her eyes after a while and looked up at Kelrian whose eyes were still open.

Kelrian stared at her, noticing that she was thinking about something. He was sure that she had something in her mind. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked and caressed her cheek. Putting a kiss on the spot behind her left ear.

She nodded. "I have to tell you something."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. He signalized her to go ahead and tell him whatever she wanted to tell. She hesitated for a few moments, looking for the right words. "I stopped taking the pill a few weeks ago." That was all she said. She stared into his eyes, wondering how he would react. She was a little afraid at first but the calm expression on his face reassured her that she didn't need to be afraid.

"You want another baby?" he asked curiously.

She nodded. "I have never thought about getting another child but then my mother and lots of our friends and family members asked me if I was pregnant when I told them that I have stopped drinking alcohol. I began to think about becoming a mother again from time to time and I noticed that I want to have another baby.

Almost fifteen years passed since the birth of Raesh and Sylvera. I love them and I'm proud of them. They grew up so fast and even started their training recently. Time passed so fast. Too fast. I miss the times where they were little babies. Holding a baby is the best feeling a mother can have. That and breastfeeding a child. I miss those times and I thought we could have another child if you also want another one."

Sylvanas' eyes found his. Insecurity was reflected by her blue orbs. But the insecurity vanished as she saw the smile on his lips. He put his hand on the back of her head and brought her face closer to his, kissing her. She returned the kiss, parted her lips and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth. Usually, she was the one who forced her tongue in his mouth first but this time she allowed him to explore her mouth first. She returned the tongue kiss eventually, holding it as long as possible.

She pulled away eventually and regarded him, not saying anything as long as she was out of breath. "I count that as a yes."

Kelrian caressed her right hip. "I would love to have another child with you. Unlike the last time where you got pregnant, we have peace. The Horde is no threat to us and I'm pretty sure Prince Arthas and Lady Jaina will take care of the plague in Lordaeron. There is nothing that speaks against having another child."

Sylvanas leaned in for another kiss.

"Now I know why you wanted to do it so often with me in the past weeks."

"Are you complaining about it?" The Ranger-General asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not, my love."

"Good. Also, we didn't do it too often."

Kelrian chuckled. "Three times a day is not too often?" He shook his head amused. "I don't want to know how many times you would do it with me if we would have nothing else to do."

Sylvanas propped herself on her elbow and put a hand on Kelrian's upper body, stroking over his muscular stomach. "Five times a day would be ideal to guarantee that I'm getting pregnant as soon as possible."

Kelrian laughed. "Five times? Do you want to kill me?"

Sylvanas frowned. "Of course not. I love you too much to kill you. I would never want to harm you in the slightest."

Kelrian smirked, put a hand under her chin and lifted it a little. "My balls will be swollen and blue after a few days if we do it five times a day."

"As long as you make me pregnant, I'm fine with that."

Kelrian chuckled amused. "Of course you are. You wouldn't be the one who wouldn't be able to sit properly for a week."

"Do I have to remind you that my butt will probably hurt the next few days because of your suggestion?"

"Hey, you agreed even though you knew that it could happen. Also, it's not that you didn't enjoy it, my love," he justified and started to kiss her left ear tenderly until he reached the tip. He put it in his mouth and bit it gently, causing that a low moan escaped Sylvanas' lips.

Sylvanas groaned. "Fine, you won. But not less than four times a day."

Kelrian smiled and kissed her cheeks. "I'm fine with that."

Sylvanas wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer to him, putting her head on his chest. "Good."

Kelrian caressed her back, noticing that Sylvanas' gaze wandered to the area between his legs. "When will you be ready for round two of four?"

Kelrian chuckled. "Just wait a few more minutes. I will make you pregnant as soon as possible. Don't worry about that."

"Good," whispered Sylvanas and closed her eyes, relaxing in his arms.


	5. The Warning

Silence.

No word was spoken, no noises could be heard. Everyone was silent in the room. The only sound he heard was his own heartbeat which was much faster than usual. He was worried. Worried and shocked. Shocked about the news the priest had just told him.

He felt depressed. He was burring his face in the palms of his hands but he didn't cry. He was feeling very emotional at the moment but he didn't cry. He didn't want to express how he was feeling at the moment because he didn't want anyone to see him like this. He didn't want to appear weak to anyone, so he managed to control himself.

"Prince Kael'thas, are you okay?" a quiet and sympathetic voice asked. Kael'thas didn't look up at first, not even when someone put their hand on his back and caressed it carefully. He heard quiet breaths, assuming that the person was sitting right next to him.

"Kael, honey. Look at me," said another voice. The voice was much softer and much more pleasant to hear. Kael'thas lifted his head eventually and looked at his wife. Her beautiful eyes reflected worry but her lips formed a small smile. Her expression changed, a look of comfort appeared on her face.

Kael'thas barely reacted to her. He was still absent-minded and could only think about what the priest had just told him. He couldn't think about anything else. He tried to think about something completely different. He tried to think about his wife, about the numerous good moments they had shared but he could only think about the bad news.

His wife put her hands on his cheeks, trying to gain his attention. She turned her head as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Her mother-in-law was looking at her. "You should give him time to think about everything, Alina. Forcing him to talk to you won't help you. It won't make him feel better."

Alina nodded and stared at the brunette woman, noticing the tears in the corners her eyes. She averted her gaze eventually and looked back at her husband who was still sitting on the chair, his back was bent forward and his ears hung low, just like his head.

Melisandra regarded her stepson for a few moments before squatted next to Alina "We should leave him alone," she whispered.

"Are you sure if that's the best idea? I don't want to leave him. I want to be there for him. He is shocked. He needs me. He needs someone who comforts him."

A sad smile appeared on the lips of the queen of Quel'Thalas. "You are right. He needs you. He will need you more than anyone else but not now. He needs space and time to think about everything. We should give him time. It's best if we leave him alone with his father. I don't want to leave my husband either but I have to. He needs rest and Kael'thas needs time."

The blonde woman nodded hesitantly, her gaze fell to her shoes. She didn't say anything. She didn't protest or discuss with her mother-in-law. Instead, she allowed Melisandra to guide her out of the room. The Queen looked one last time at her motionless son, who was still sitting on the chair next to the bed before she closed the door quietly.

Only Kael'thas, the doctor and his father were left in the room. The priest, who wore a blue robe, was silent as he used a few objects and cast a few spells. He was making tests and wrote things down on a clipboard.

The prince lifted his head after a while and looked at the priest. He was a high elf with long, dark brown hair, blue glowing eyes and a full beard. He was busy writing down his results, so he didn't notice the prince's staring. "How much time does he have?" Kael'thas asked eventually. His voice was cracked and sounded everything but secure.

A sad sigh escaped the priest's lips. It was not easy for him to tell the prince the truth while seeing him like this but he had to tell him. He was the affected person's son, so he deserved to know the truth.

"Two or three months. Maybe half a year at maximum."

Kael'thas was silent at first. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him but he didn't allow it to happen. He managed to control himself and not let his emotions overwhelm him.

"What does he have?" the prince asked after a while.

The priest came closer to him. "A very rare heart disease."

"How long has he had it?"

"I have no idea, my prince."

"Why don't you know that. You are a priest and a doctor, you should know it," hissed Kael'thas. His eyes were narrowed and reflected anger, his teeth were clenched.

The priest regarded his feet embarrassedly. "I'm sorry, my prince." His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

The anger quickly disappeared from Kael'thas' face. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't want to scream at you."

The brunette man lifted his head and looked at the prince who sat down back in his chair. A small smile appeared on the priest's lips. "There is nothing you have to be sorry about, my prince. I understand that you are not happy with the news."

"Happy...," repeated the mage quietly, shaking his head slowly. His eyes reflected sadness.

"I would also be very emotional if I would find out that my father would have a rare illness for which nobody ever found a cure."

Kael'thas was silent, not wanting to say anything in response.

"As you know, your father is very old. The oldest man in the kingdom. It was very likely that he would have gotten sick eventually. He lived much longer than I have expected. I once told him that he wouldn't get older than three thousand years. I was wrong about that back then but I'm not wrong with this assumption. This time, I'm not the only one who thinks that the king doesn't have much time left. High Priestess Liadrin thinks the same. She gave her best but she couldn't help him. All she could do was to ease his pain."

A sad sigh escaped the mage's lips. "I know that he is pretty old. It shouldn't surprise me at all that he has a disease. He lived much longer than anyone expected but it still shocks me even though I could have known that something like that might happen one day. I noticed over the past decades that his health became worse but his medicaments always helped him and kept him on his feet.I never thought about the possibility that there might come a disease one day against which his medicine would be useless. And it seems that day has come."

Kael'thas stared at his father who was lying in his bed with his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful as if he was already dead but he wasn't. The quiet breaths which were barely hearable proved that he was not dead. Not yet. He looked exhausted and weak but he was still alive.

Anasterian Sunstrider wasn't aware of his son's and the priest's talk. He was sleeping at the moment. The disease was taking most of his strength, making him feel tired and weak most of the time. He was forced to lie in bed and rest. There was nothing else he could do in his current state.

Kael'thas' eyes rested on his father's face. His skin colour was not as grey as the colour of hair but it didn't look healthy either. Thick veins were visible on his neck. It was clearly visible that the king was past his peak and his days were numbered **.** The rest of the king's body was covered by a thick blue blanket, a wet flannel laid on his forehead but it didn't help him at all.

"Do you have any suggestions about what I could do for him?"

The priest shook his head, showing the prince how sorry he was. Kael'thas got up suddenly and walked towards the door. "Where are you going, my prince?"

"Dalaran. There has to be a way to heal his disease. I won't stop until I find a cure, even if I have to read every single book of the grand library."

"But that would take ages. No, centuries, my prince."

Kael'thas looked over his shoulder at the other man who was walking towards him slowly, intending to stop him. "I won't do it alone," replied the mage quietly and left the room.

He stormed through the corridors, arriving in the throne room where the throne of his father was standing. He didn't pay any attention to it as he walked through the room absently-minded. He bumped into a person and landed on the ground. He ignored the pain but didn't manage to control the anger that was building up in him quicker than expected.

"Can't you watch out?" he screamed at the stranger. He was unable to control his emotions. Normally, he would have never behaved like that to a person he had walked into but at this very moment, he didn't care about anything. His father was terminally ill, so he only had that in mind at the moment. Even if he would try to think about something else, he would end up thinking about his father again. He couldn't stop thinking about him no matter how hard he tried.

He felt sad, worn out, exhausted and powerless. He couldn't think clearly even if he wanted to. There was a lot going on in his mind and he didn't have the time to deal with the stranger in front of him. He wanted to leave the room but the stranger blocked his way.

Kael'thas gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his narrowed eyes bored holes in the man's face. The person was an old man whose outfit looked more like rags than real clothes. He wore a brown cape to which a hood was attached, green trousers and dirty boots. The man had a long grey beard and his face was wrinkled. He carried a brown, wooden staff in his hand which tip looked like a raven.

"Who are you?" asked the prince in a very unfriendly tone. He was irritated that this strange human didn't allow him to pass.

"I'm just an old man who wants some of your father's time."

"My father is indisposed at the moment."

"It's urgent, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. I need to speak to your father now," the man said insistently.

"I said that my father is indisposed at the moment," the prince repeated angrily.

The stranger remained calm. "When can I speak to him?"

"Not in the near future," hissed Kael'thas and tried to shove the man away but he was stronger than expected and remained on the spot.

"Why?"

Kael'thas became more impatient than he already was. "I have not the time to explain it to you. I demand you to let me pass."

"If I can't talk to your father then I want to talk to you. There is a certain matter about which I have to talk to someone with influence."

"I don't have the time now."

The stranger put a hand on the prince's shoulder, staring into his angry blue eyes. "Listen to me boy, the fate of your people will depend on what I have to tell you. They are in great danger but you can save them if you listen to me."

Kael'thas mood hadn't changed but he made a gesture, signalizing the strange man to speak. He was only hoping that he would be brief.

"A terrible fate is awaiting your people if you don't do anything against it. Hundreds of thousands will die if we don't stop what is coming soon. Your kingdom is in danger but you can save if it if you act quickly."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow, doubt was clearly visible in his eyes. "Danger? What danger? The Horde? They are nothing. The Horde is nothing but a shadow of its former self. They will never be a threat to us again. Not in thousands of years."

The corners of the stranger's lips formed a weak smile. "I'm not talking about the Horde."

Kael'thas tilted his head. "What are you talking about then?" he asked, sounding much louder and more aggressive than before. Some of the people around him startled, surprised expressions could be seen on their face. None of them would have expected that the otherwise calm prince would react in such a way. He had never been so angry in his life as he was now.

Normally, he was a very kind man who was able to control his emotions and didn't bark at anyone. But he was not himself at the moment. The bad news he had just received made him behave differently. He was not himself but he didn't even notice that he was acting strangely. Only those around him noticed that but nobody dared to say anything.

The stranger took a deep breath. "I am talking about the end of the world, which will come unless we work together and do something about it. The Veil of Darkness intends to envelop Azeroth. We will be doomed if we don't stop the great evil that wants to destroy everything and kill everyone. No child, men or women will be spared. It will take our loved ones and everyone we have sworn to protect."

Kael'thas shook his head, signalizing the stranger than he didn't believe any of his words. To him, everything the man had said didn't sound plausible. He thought the man was mentally deranged and said nothing but random bullshit. He didn't take him seriously.

The prince was mad that this old fool was keeping him from searching for a cure for his father's disease. For him, he was nothing more than a confused, old man who was talking nonsense. And he hated dealing with such guys.

"You are talking nonsense. Let me pass. This is my last warning," hissed Kael'thas and stared into the old man's eyes.

"You have to listen to me, prince. There is a danger that is coming from Lordaeron and your people are not prepared to deal with it. You have to believe me. We have to work together if we want to save your people and the other kingdoms of the Alliance. You and your people have to leave Quel'Thalas and travel to the west. To the ancient lands of Kalimdor."

Kael'thas shook his head and gathered his strength, pushing the stranger to the side. He didn't look at him as he told his guards to remove him from the throne room. A disappointed look could be seen in the stranger's eyes as he regarded Kael'thas walking away. "I've tried it. I really did but you don't want to listen. A grim destiny is awaiting you and your people. I have warned you but you didn't believe me. The fate of your people will be your fault. We could have prevented it together."

"Whatever, old man," whispered Kael'thas. He was looking in the opposite direction, so he couldn't see that the man shrank and transformed into a raven before the royal guards were able to reach him. The raven rose in the air and flew over the prince's head, leaving Sunstrider Spire before the prince could reach the exit.

* * *

_Knock._

_Knock._

Lyndia lifted her head and looked at the door, noticing that her cousin stood in it and smiled at her. She got up and put the book aside, signalizing her to come over. Sylvera didn't need to be told twice and approached the daughter of her deceased uncle, hugging her once she had gotten up from her bed. Her hands rested on the half-elf's back and caressed it slowly.

The hug only lasted for a few seconds but both girls were fine with that. They looked at each other once they had pulled away. Lyndia wore white hot pants so her smooth light-brown legs were exposed. Her top was a blue blouse with short sleeves. Sylvera wore green leggings and a white top with long sleeves. Her blonde hair was not fully dry and not combed at all. It had similarities to a wild mane of a lion. Lyndia's dark blonde hair, on the other hand, reached to her shoulders and was combed, she even had a hair clip in it which looked like a flower.

Lyndia regarded the high elf from head to toe, inviting her to sit down on her bed. Sylvera waited until her cousin had put the blue blanket aside and sat down on the white mattress. Lyndia didn't hesitate to pick up her hairbrush and comb her cousin's hair. Sylvera sat in front of her, her back was turned to her while she stared at the opposite wall which was pure white. Unlike most rooms in Windrunner Spire, Lyndia's room was not decorated by mural art or paintings that hung on the walls. She preferred it simple.

She also only had pieces of furniture in her room that she really needed. A bed with a bedside table, a wardrobe, a table, one armchair and a small shelf where her favourite books were standing.

Lyndia ran her fingers through the soft golden-blonde hair of her cousin as she combed it and made it look perfect. Sylvera's hair was similar to her mother's hair. She didn't need to do much to make it look perfect. Lyndia, on the other hand, usually needed much longer than her.

"I haven't seen you for a week, where have you been?" Sylvera asked once her cousin was finished with her hair. She regarded herself in the nearest mirror, a pleased smile appeared on her lips.

"I watched the stage play by my mother's theatre group and then I stayed a few days in the city. They performed at least three times a day, so I could only spend a few hours every day with my mother."

"What did you do in the meantime when your mother was busy?" Sylvera asked curiously.

"I spent time in the city, even in the area around it. I have to say that Stratholme is a very beautiful city. I found out that many of these buildings are pretty old but they still look good. The citizens told me that some of these buildingshave been restored over the past years. They also told me that spells have been cast on lots of buildings to preserve them should visit Stratholme one day," told Lyndia.

"I have to ask my parents first but I don't think they would be against it. How long does your mother stay in Stratholme?"

"Three or four days, probably. She promised me she will return soon and we will visit Silvermoon City together."

Sylvera leaned back and rested her head on one of Lyndia's pillows, closing her eyes as she relaxed. "Your bed is as comfortable as mine. I wish I could stay in bed all day but my parents wouldn't allow that. They want to spend time with me and they also want me to train every day."

Lyndia laid down next to her and stared at the ceiling. "I'm glad they're spurring us on, otherwise I wouldn't do anything but lazing around in bed all day. I want to become a skilful ranger like your parents. It was my father's dream to become a ranger but he never had the chance to fulfil his dream. He died before he could ever start an apprenticeship as a ranger. I want to live his dream and become a ranger one day."

Sylvera opened her eyes and looked at the brown-skinned girl. She hadn't missed the sad tone in her voice so she regarded her worriedly. Lyndia was still staring at the ceiling but it was clearly visible that speaking about her deceased father was not easy for her.

Sylvera took one of her hands and intertwined their fingers. She gave her cousin a weak smile but Lyndia didn't see it. They remained silent for a few minutes, doing nothing but lying there and staring at the ceiling. The high elf cleared her throat eventually, catching the hybrid's attention. Their blue eyes meet but they didn't say anything for a few moments.

Sylvera cleared her throat again, putting a few strands of dark blonde hair behind the half-elf's ears which were much smaller and thinner than hers. "Does your mother often speak about your father?"

Lyndia hesitated for a moment. "She tells me about him from time to time. She told me how they met, how they fell in love, how he was and much more."

"My mother also told me about him. Uncle Lirath was a pretty nice man who wanted to become a ranger but also an actor at the same time. He was a good guy and still pretty young for a high elf. He died way too early. He was taken away from your mother and our family. I'm still so sorry about what happened to him."

Lyndia just nodded and looked at her fingernails, sadness was reflected by her blue eyes. Sylvera noticed that and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her in a tight and comforting hug. A few tears ran down Lyndia's cheeks but she wiped them away. She had already accepted that she would never meet her father but it still hurt to think about it.

She will never be able to meet her father and get known to him. She had grown up without him but she had a happy life. She lived together with her mother and the family of her father. Everyone loved her and nobody discriminated her because of her skin colour or her origin. She was a half-elf just like her older cousin Arator who was the son of her aunt Alleria and her uncle-in-law Turalyon. She was happy with the life she had but she was still wishing she could grow up with two parents instead of just one.

Sylvera was there for her and held her tightly, comforting her until she felt better. Lyndia pulled away eventually and gave her a thankful nod.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked worriedly.

The half-elf nodded. "I'm good but I would prefer if we would talk about something else."

Sylvera leaned against the wall and gave her a curious look. "What do you have in mind?"

Lyndia shrugged. "Nothing in particular."

The high elf turned her head, checking if the door was closed. It was. She leaned forward and took Lyndia's hands, intertwining them. "Why don't we talk about _boys_?"

Lyndia frowned but didn't say anything in return.

"What?" her cousin asked.

"I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for that right now. Maybe later, when I feel better," Lyndia said quietly.

Sylvera gave her an understanding nod. "Alright, we will talk about something else then."

"We don't have to talk. We can also just sit on my bed and relax," suggested Lyndia.

"Not a bad idea," the younger girl admitted. They sat there and did nothing for a while but relaxing and enjoying the presence of the other. But they didn't lay there forever. They got up eventually and left the room, locking the door. They walked downstairs and went to the kitchen where Sylvera's twin brother was sitting. He was eating a banana at the moment but he also had slices of smeared bread on his plate.

Raesh greeted Lyndia but not his sister. He didn't even look at her. He ignored her and only paid attention to his cousin. Lyndia regarded him with a raised eyebrow and a frown on her forehead for a few moments before she turned her head to look at his sister. "Is something wrong?" she asked them. Raesh gave her no answer.

"We had a little... argument yesterday and he's been ignoring me ever since."

The half-elf looked at her cousin who was still regarding his plate while eating. "Seriously, Raesh?"

The teenager refused to give her an answer. Lyndia shook her head. "And now you are ignoring me too because I'm spending time with your sister?"

Raesh took another bite and remained silent.

Lyndia rolled her eyes. "What a child," she muttered and took a few slices of bread from the middle of the table, handing three to Sylvera who gave her a thankful nod. They smeared their slices and ate them, talking to each other in the meantime. Raesh had gotten up and left the room as soon as they had started talking, even though he was not finished with his breakfast. He had taken his plate with him, intending to eat his bread somewhere else.

They kept sitting on their chairs even though they were finished with their meals. They got up after nearly half an hour, putting their plates on the kitchen counter. Lyndia was about to walk away but Sylvera reminded her that they had to clean their plates and the cutlery they had used. The half-elf was not pleased to do that but she did it with her in the end, putting the dried things in the kitchen cupboard.

They left the kitchen and entered the living room. They wanted to walk over to the couch and sit down but they stopped in their tracks as they spotted Lyndia's mother who was sitting on the couch and looked very distressed. Her skin was pale, her hair tousled and there was a dark-red ugly bruise under her left eye.

Sylvanas was sitting next to her, an arm was wrapped around her shoulder as she tried to comfort her. Camillia was absent-minded and just stared at her feet.

"Mother?" Lyndia asked. The massive amount of worry was clearly hearable in her voice. She walked over to her mother and sat down next to her. She took her hand and tried to get her attention but her mother didn't react to her. Lyndia's gaze wandered from her mother's head to her feet. The blouse and the trousers she wore were ripped. Brown skin could be seen through the many holes in her clothing. She didn't need long to spot the hematoma on the back of her mother's head.

Panic was written all over the half-elf's face. "What happened?" she asked. Her voice was much higher than usual and trembled.

Sylvanas, who was sitting right next to Camillia, turned her head and stared into Lyndia's eyes. Worry was reflected by her eyes. "Zendarin came with her through a portal and told me about the horrible news."

"Horrible news? What do you mean? What happened to her?"

"She didn't talk yet so I have no idea what happened to her. I only know about the tragedy that happened."

Lyndia's eyes widened, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. "Which tragedy?"

Sylvanas took a deep breath, considering what she should say. She exhaled loudly as she had found the right words. "Prince Arthas Menethil and his men slaughtered the population of Stratholme."


	6. Concerning News

Prince Arthas Menethil and his men slaughtered the population of Stratholme."

The following silence didn't last for too long but it felt like an eternity. Lyndia was sitting next to her mother and tried to get her attention but the woman didn't react to her or anyone else. She just stared at a random spot in the room and remained silent.

Not even Sylvanas said anything. She was worried and looked as if she was lost in thoughts. She was thinking about something and the girls wanted to know what was going on in her mind.

The silence was unpleasant but ended eventually as Sylvanas cleared her throat and looked back at her daughter and her niece. The eyes of both girls were widened and shock was reflected by their faces. They couldn't believe that Sylvanas had just told them but the serious expression on the woman's face told the girls that she was not joking. She was dead serious about this.

"This can't be true...," started Lyndia but stopped as she realized that she had no idea what she should say. Sylvera was also speechless and stood there rooted and unable to say something.

Sylvanas shook her head slowly, sadness was reflected by her blue eyes. Her voice was weak and quiet. "I wish I could say that it's not true but that would be a lie. As shocking as it sounds, it is unfortunately true."

"But... Prince Arthas would never harm anyone. He swore to protect his people. He is a servant of the light... It can't be real..."

Sylvanas put her hand on the half-elf's shoulder, staring into her eyes. Her expression was neutral, her lips were pressed together. It was clearly visible that it was not easy for her to speak out the following sentences. "It is real. My scouts are a reliable source. They tell me everything they find out. I didn't believe them at first but they managed to convince me of the truth. I know them for a long time, so I know they would never lie to me. They are loyal to me and always tell me the truth."

Sylvanas paused for a moment, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She exhaled and opened her eyes again, looking at her daughter and then back at Lyndia. "We don't know yet why he did that but my men are after it. They are looking for Lady Jaina Proudmoore and Lord Uther to get answers from them. I want to know why Arthas did that. I don't believe there is any reason that would justify his actions but I still want to know the reason why he did that."

The girls were silent while Sylvanas continued to comfort Camillia and tried to get her attention. She got her attention eventually but the woman didn't say anything at first. Only when her daughter began to ask questions which Sylvanas couldn't answer, she started to speak.

"It is true, Lyndia. I know it sounds unreal but it is the sad truth." Her voice was thin and weak, her tired eyes rested on her daughter. "I saw it with my own eyes. It... It was horrible..."

Sylvanas' eyes widened. "You saw it with your own eyes?"

Camillia nodded slowly. "I was about to leave Stratholme for a walk as the prince and his men entered the city and forbid us to leave. The people were confused and asked him what's going on... He didn't give them a correct answer. He just...," the brown-skinned woman stopped speaking, ordering her thoughts before she continued. "He struck a young boy with his hammer and... He killed him... He just killed him out of nowhere. For no reason." Her voice had become much weaker and tears could be seen in her eyes. Her face was pale and her bottom lip was trembling.

Sylvanas pulled her in a comforting hug, put her head on her shoulder and ran her fingers through her dreadlocks. "It's okay, honey," Sylvanas whispered. "You are safe. He won't hurt you. I won't let that happen. You are in a safe place. Tell us everything once you feel ready." She put a kiss on her forehead and regarded her patiently.

Camillia felt a hand on her back which caressed it slowly. She shifted her gaze, finding out it was her daughter's hand. Lyndia was also holding her hand and caressed its back with her thumb. It pained the half-elf to see her mother in this condition, so she did her best to comfort her. She had no idea how she should do that, so she just sat next to her and signalized her that she was there for her.

The actress continued eventually but it was still clearly visible that it was not easy for her to talk about this. "The people were shocked at first. No one would have ever expected that the prince would kill a human for no reason. His men didn't stop him. They followed his example. They started to kill the nearest citizens not long after the prince had killed that poor boy with his hammer. It was horrible... So much blood. So many corpses. So many unnecessary deaths. The people didn't do anything to deserve such a horrible fate..."

Sylvanas put Camillia's face in her hands and caressed her cheeks carefully while staring into her eyes. "I have no words for this. I wish I could say something to comfort you but I'm lacking words. This sounds unbelievable... This is... This is pure genocide... This is madness... I still can't believe he did this. I haven't met him very often but I spoke to him a few times. I would have never believed he would do something horrible like that. I always thought he was a good guy. It seems that I was wrong..."

A sad sigh escaped Camillia's lips. "I heard him muttering that he was doing this for our own good. He muttered that he was doing this for his kingdom. He muttered he would protect his kingdom that way."

Sylvanas' eyes widened once again. "You were close to him?"

Camillia nodded hesitantly. "He was not far away from me, so I was able to hear him clearly. He also said he didn't like to do this. He said he was sorry that he had to do it. But he still did it. He and his men killed everyone they saw. The people started to defend themselves but they had no chance against his men. They were well-trained soldiers after all while most citizens had no combat experience."

"They wanted to kill you as well," concluded her daughter. Camillia looked at her, noticing the panic in her eyes. Her daughter was very pale and looked scared. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She was about to cry but her mother pulled her in a tight hug, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and comforted her as best as she could. Camillia hadn't calmed down yet but she didn't want that her precious daughter would be sad, so she gave her best to comfort her. It was not an easy task but she managed to do that eventually.

Sylvanas noticed that Camillia was still distressed but talking about the events seemed to help her a little at least. She assumed that Camillia would be still distressed after explaining everything that happened. Speaking about it will only help for the moment but Sylvanas will be there for her and support her as best as she could. The next few days and weeks wouldn't be easy for the brown-skinned woman, Sylvanas was sure of that.

She had seen horrible things she wouldn't forget that easily no matter how hard she would try. All Sylvanas could do was to distract her and don't let her think about the horrible events in Stratholme. But for now, all she could do was to listen to her and comfort her.

"They wanted to kill me," replied Camillia eventually. Her voice was much weaker than before. Her eyes stared at the opposite wall as she continued to explain what happened. "His men came for me. I ran and ran but they caught up to me even though they wore armour. They tackled me and knocked me to the ground. They wanted to kill me but one of the local guards saved me..." Her voice became much sadder. "Then they killed him but all I did was running. I run for my life and escaped them. I hid beneath the stage and somehow, I managed to get out of the city during the night. There were so many corpses on the streets, so much blood that had been spilt. So many innocent lives that had been taken... And then there were these things..."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. "Things?" She wanted to find out what she was talking about but she didn't pressurize her into speaking. She waited and reminded Camillia that she was in safe hands and didn't need to worry about her life. She gave the human all the time she needed and allowed her to pull herself together.

"It was hard to recognize them in the dark but I stopped to take a closer look at one of them that has been lying on the ground. I don't know what it was but it didn't look human. It was as tall as a human but it looked... I don't know how to describe it... It looked deformed. It looked as if it had been humanoid once but then it turned into whatever it is. Or was in this case. I have no idea. I'm sorry that I can't describe it much better."

Sylvanas stroked the back of Camillia's head and kept pressing a piece of cloth on the haematoma to soak up the blood. "It's okay. You are still in a state of shock. Why don't you go to bed and rest a bit? You can even take a shower first if you want. What would you say to that?"

The dark-skinned woman bit her bottom lip. "I don't know, to be honest."

Sylvanas stared into her eyes. "You are still in a state of shock. You need to rest. I can bring you to your room and run a bath for you. I won't leave your side while you bath if you want. But you have to take a rest. That's unavoidable."

The actress hesitated but then she nodded her head weakly. Sylvanas helped her up and brought her out of the living room. Lyndia and Sylvera didn't hesitate to follow them and leave the room as well.

* * *

_The woman staggered backwards and fell. The ground beneath her was not dry. It was wet. But it didn't rain for days. The spilt blood was responsible for the wet ground. The blood of her people. But there was not only blood. There were also innards, bones and separated limps. Lots of corpses laid on the ground not far away from her._

_The woman managed to pull herself up and pick up her swords that had fallen to the ground. She was wounded. There was a yawning wound in her left hip and she knew she should press one of her hands on it to delay the bleeding progress. But she couldn't do that at the moment. She needed to wield both weapons to defend herself._

_She had to defend herself against the man who was coming closer. He wore massive armour and carried a huge sword in his hand. Like her, he was fighting for hours but he hadn't been injured yet. His armour had taken most of the sword hits and protected him from her arrows. She had often aimed at his head but he had blocked all of her arrows._

_She was not powerful enough to take him down. He was too strong for her. She had no chance against him. Her wound didn't look good. She was losing too much blood and there was no priest in her near. She couldn't run because she was surrounded by creatures._

_Creatures that were no longer alive. They were dead. Undead to be exact. Their blue glowing eyes looked at her, their mouths were wide open so their ugly, yellow teeth could be seen._

_She knew that running was not an option anymore because the creatures wouldn't let her pass. She could only fight. The creatures around her just stood there and did nothing. They didn't attack her._

_They didn't do anything as she decided to run towards the man but he bashed her away with the back of his hand. She landed on the ground once again but this time she needed much longer to get up._

_She was exhausted. Her body hurt and protested whenever she made a move. She knew she wouldn't hold out long. She knew her body would let her down sooner or later. It was only a matter of time until she would collapse. There was no going back. She had to fight. There was no other option. She had to fight until her last breath._

Kelrian's eyes open in a was dark. He was lying somewhere. He turned his head, recognizing the familiar shape next to him. Sylvanas' breaths were quiet while she was sleeping. Her front was pressed against his side, her head rested on his shoulder and one of her arms was wrapped around his upper body. She was muttering something but he couldn't recognize it. Kelrian brought his hand to her head and caressed her cheek softly. She looked so adorable while sleeping.

Kelrian regarded her for a few minutes before he averted his gaze and looked at the ceiling. He remembered the weird dream he just had. He had dreamed about a woman but he couldn't remember how she had looked like. He remembered that she had fought against someone. A man. But he didn't recognize his appearance either.

All he remembered was the sword in his hand. A sword he had never seen before. He had never seen a sword like this before. It had looked sinister. And mighty. But not in a good way. It didn't seem that the sword would be used for good purposes.

He remembered the creatures that had been near the woman. He had never seen such ugly creatures before. Some of them looked as if they had been humanoid once while others didn't look similar to a humanoid creature. Not in the slightest way.

He was asking himself what a weird dream he just had and why. He hadn't read any horror book in the past few months nor had he listened to any scary stories the soldiers told each other when sitting around campfires during their night shifts. He was concerned at first but the longer he told himself that it had just been a dream and everything was fine, the calmer he got. He decided to stop thinking about it and try to fall asleep again.

He wrapped his arm around Sylvanas and put his hand on her back, caressing it carefully. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and then one on her lips, closing his eyes a few moments later. He hoped that he would fall asleep soon but unfortunately for him, sleep avoided him for the rest of the night.

* * *

The air was quite cool. It wasn't cool usually. It was always warm because it was always summer in Quel'Thalas. An ancient spell, which had been cast on the territory during the founding of Quel'Thalas, was responsible for that. The temperatures never dropped below twenty degrees during the day, nevertheless, was it much colder than it should be.

The twittering of the birds was hearable but these little creatures sounded different today. Sylvanas got the impression that they were nervous about something. The twittering was louder than usual and she even heard more noises made by the animals who lived in the forests. Deer ran around nervously, squirrels hid in their holes in the trees and the rabbits crawled into their burrows. Even the lynxes, who were known to be dangerous creatures who wouldn't shrink back from attacking anyone who would cross them, seemed to be nervous.

Like all high elves, Sylvanas had a close connection to nature so she felt the nervousness of the animals. They sensed something. Sylvanas wanted to know what they sensed but that there was no way to find that out. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk to animals even though her bond to nature was very close. All she could do was to listen to them and regard them but that didn't help her at all.

The more hours passed the further the animals withdrew towards the north. They were moving towards the capital city but they will need a while to reach it. But they wouldn't be able to go anywhere else once they had reached it. They couldn't escape what was coming because they couldn't walk over water.

Sylvanas was wondering what was coming. It must be something horrible if the animal sensed it from such a far distance. Sylvanas wanted to know what was coming but none of her scouts had returned yet. Not even her older sister who was the head scout.

Sylvanas was worried about Alleria even though she knew she had no reason to. Alleria was much older than her and therefore had much more experience than her. She was the best scout in Quel'Thalas and could take care of herself. Nevertheless, Sylvanas was worried that something had happened to her sister. She had sent out some of her best rangers but none of them had returned yet. She would remain worried until she would hear about her.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the little base behind her. It was only a small camp near the southern border of Quel'Thalas which consisted of ten tents. The largest one was hers which she shared with Kelrian who she had sent out as well. Kelrian and his friends Nathanos Marris and Zetai Lightspark were looking for Alleria, just like three other groups of three people.

Sylvanas looked at her pocket watch impatiently. The group of her lover should have returned hours ago but they didn't. They were still missing. She could only assume that something had held them up. She could only hope that no enemies were involved in this. She had heard many rumours since the fall of Lordaeron and she didn't want to believe any of them. She had heard of undead creatures that were wandering through Lordaeron or what was left of that once powerful kingdom.

She knew about its fall but she didn't want to believe that Prince Arthas Menethil was the one who doomed it. She didn't want to believe that he had slain his own father. She didn't know Arthas well enough but she had spoken to him from time to time in the past. She remembered him as a just and righteous man who would do anything for his kingdom. He would do anything to save it, so she didn't believe that he had ruined his own kingdom. She didn't believe he slew his own father and his people. She knew he had purged Stratholme but he had done that because he had believed it would be necessary to save his people from the plague that turned them into the undead.

Rhonin had told her about the plague after Jaina had reported everything she knew to him and Archmage Antonidas. Sylvanas knew that it had been spread through the grain and that it turned everyone that came in contact with it into mindless undead creatures that attacked everyone they saw.

As far as she knew, Arthas had killed the inhabitants of Stratholme to prevent that they would turn into the undead and hurt unaffected humans. She knew he had only wanted to do the right thing but she didn't agree with that decision. She knew that he had stopped the spreading that way but his method was still wrong. Sylvanas still believed there could have been a different way. Maybe a quarantine or something else. Anything but slaughtering thousands of citizens.

Sylvanas was worried. She was worried about her loved ones, about her people but mostly about what the future was holding for them. She didn't know if that plague only affected humans or also high elves and other races. She didn't know if the rumours were true and the undead might come to Quel'Thalas. She had heard about a gigantic army, so she could only pray to the Sunwell and hope that these rumours were not true.

King Anasterian was sick and the prince was still in Dalaran, looking for a cure, so she was the one who was responsible for the well-being of her people. The queen stayed by her husband's side so she was the woman everyone looked up to.

Her people were scared, she knew that. Her people were trusting her, believing she would protect them. Sylvanas was not sure if she could do that because she had no idea what was awaiting her and her people. But she would give her best and protect her people by every means, even if she would have to sacrifice her life.

She was the Ranger-General of Silvermoon and she would never let anything happen to her people. She trusted her experience and her skills as a leader. She knew what she was doing but she feared that her experiences and skills wouldn't be enough this time. She could only hope for the best. Pray to the Sunwell that had protected her people for thousands of years and given them the strength to go through every crisis.

Sylvanas' eyes rested on the horizon for a few more minutes before she turned around and walked to the small camp. The camp stood in front of a forest in which treetops two dozen of her rangers were hiding. They were ready for the case that enemies would approach the camp. Ten rangers stood around the camp and more than twelve rangers were inside the camp.

Sylvanas was only able to take four squads from her regiment near the southern borders of Quel'Thalas. The other rangers who belonged to the army of Quel'Thalas were either stationed in the several bases, villages and outposts in Quel'Thalas or were waiting in Silvermoon. They were ready for battle. They were ready to defend their home by every means for the case that the rumours were true.

Sylvanas entered the camp, walking over to her tent in front of which a familiar person was standing. It was a woman with long, red-dyed hair that was made up in a ponytail. Like all rangers, she was wearing a blue uniform. But she was not a normal ranger. She was a Ranger-Captain and Sylvanas' best friend. Her name was Verena Sunbather.

Sylvanas gave Verena a weak smile. "They didn't return yet, did they?" asked Verena.

Sylvanas shook her head, worry and sadness were reflected by her eyes. "No, they didn't." Her voice was much quieter and not as expressive as it usually was. It was rather weak. She feared that her sister, her lover and the other rangers wouldn't return. Also, she didn't feel well this day. She had no idea what was going on with her but for some reason, she felt weak. Her head hurt a little, she felt cold from time to time and her stomach was rebelling sometimes. She didn't feel well but she did her best to hide how she was feeling.

Verena knew Sylvanas since they were little. She knew her for over one hundred and eighty years, so she knew when Sylvanas tried to hide something. The redhead put her hand on Sylvanas' forehead, testing if she had a fever. Her forehead was not hot so Verena excluded that. "You are not feeling well today, are you?" The worry was clearly hearable in her voice.

Sylvanas was silent at first but then she admitted to Verena that she was right. "I'm not feeling so good but I have felt worse. It's still bearable. Don't worry about me."

Verena raised an eyebrow. "You should be in a warm room instead of staying at the front. The climate is not making your condition better."

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a weak smile. "I'm glad you are looking after me but I can take care of myself. You are right, I should stay in a warm room in one of our bases but I can't. Now that the king is confined to bed and the prince is studying in Dalaran, I have to handle the situation. I have to find out what is going on. I have to find out if the rumours are true that lots of undead are marching towards Quel'Thalas. I need to act immediately if that's the case. I can't just stay somewhere and wait until I receive a message from a courier. I have to act as soon as possible when news arrives. I can't allow myself to stay somewhere until I get better."

Verena was silent as she thought about Sylvanas' words. "I understand you, honey. You are right about everything you said. You are responsible for the safety of our people, so you have to be here and wait for the return of the scouts."

Sylvanas gave her an agreeing nod. Verena put a hand under her chin, caressing it a little. "Just take care of yourself. I hope you will get better soon."

"Don't worry, I already took medicine today."

"Good."

Sylvanas was about to say something in return but suddenly her stomach cramped up and she felt dizzy. At least she was able to run to the nearest bush before she vomited. Verena had followed her and held her hair while she emptied her stomach. The cramping stopped once she was finished and she didn't feel dizzy anymore. Sylvanas got up and wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand, turning around to look at her best friend whose face reflected nothing but worry.

"I'm fine," said Sylvanas and tried to walk back to her tent but Verena stepped in front of her and put her hands on her cheeks, starring into her eyes. "I doubt it."

"I'm not sick."

"That didn't look like you weren't sick, **"** replied her best friend.

Sylvanas exhaled loudly, staring into Verena's eyes. "I'm good. Promised."

"If you say so. Do me a favour and take care of yourself. You should go to bed a few hours early tonight, so you get more rest.," responded Verena.

Sylvanas smiled. "I will. Thanks for looking after me."

Verena returned the smile. "I always will. Shall we go to your tent?"

Sylvanas nodded, took her arm and guided Verena to her tent. They were about to step inside as one of her rangers approached them. It was one of her most promising recruits who had almost completed his training. A few more months and he would no longer be a recruit and become a ranger. He wore a green uniform like all recruits, had short blond hair and a scar on his left cheek.

"How can I help you Recruit Zelen?" Sylvanas asked.

"I'm here to tell you that your sister just arrived."

Sylvanas' heart started to beat much faster, curiosity but also worry were reflected by her eyes. "Is she alright?"

The worry vanished and was replaced by relief when Zelen nodded. "She is."

"Who else returned?"

"Ranger-Lord Marris, Ranger-Lieutenant Sunsinger and Ranger-Lieutenant Lightspark."

Sylvanas' heartbeat came faster once again and she was feeling less worried. "Bring me to them. I need to see my sister and find out what she has to say."

"I am already here," said a familiar voice. Sylvanas turned her head and spotted her sister next to the opposite tent. Her green uniform was dirty but also covered with dried blood. She had her hood up but Sylvanas still noticed that her hair was dirty. There was a bandage around her left upper arm but other than that she looked fine.

Sylvanas rushed over to her and threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. She put her head on her shoulder and buried her face in her neck. "I'm so happy that you returned to me in one piece. I was afraid you were dead."

Alleria put her hands on Sylvanas' back and caressed it. "Fortunately, I'm not dead."

Sylvanas pulled away and regarded her sister from head to toe. "Where have you been?"

"My unit and I spotted a group of hooded men and women who were performing some sort of a ritual. We stopped them and killed them but I lost five of my rangers." Alleria's eyes reflected grief.

"Hooded men and women? What kind of a ritual did they perform?" Sylvanas asked. Curiosity but also worry were reflected by her eyes.

Alleria shrugged. "I have no idea. They had put several dead bodies in a drawn circle and muttered phrases. Some of these bodies were still recognizable. They belonged to farmers from Lordaeron but also to some of our rangers. I examined the corpses and found out that something had bitten them to death."

"Bitten to death?" Sylvanas sounded alarmed. "Like by a wild beast?"

"It was not a wild beast that killed them."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"

Alleria put a hand on her shoulder and took her other hand. "I will explain it to you if you follow me."

Sylvanas allowed her sister to guide her out of the camp to the three horses that were not far away from it. Sylvanas spotted some of Alleria's rangers and some of her rangers standing around something that must lay on the ground. Sylvanas walked over to the rangers whose eyes were widened. Shocked but also worried expressions could be seen on their faces. Sylvanas walked to Kelrian and Nathanos who stepped aside and allowed her to get in the circle.

What she saw really surprised her even though it shouldn't surprise her because Lady Jaina Proudmoore had already confirmed that undead creatures existed. The creature was as tall as a human but it was deformed. Its head looked anything but human and anything but beautiful. It had pitch-black eyes, large and sharp yellow teeth, most of them were missing, and its hands looked more like claws than humanoid hands. Bones stuck out of its grey, partly rotten, flesh and there were even parts of its body where skin and even flesh were totally missing.

Sylvanas couldn't stop regarding this ugly creature. It looked so horrible as if it came straight out of a child's nightmare. Sylvanas had never seen anything like that creature. That thing was clearly dead, several arrows stuck in its chest but also in its head. It seemed that that creature was quite tough and not easy to kill.

"What is that thing?" Sylvanas asked and looked at her sister, looking for answers.

Alleria was clueless and she didn't try to hide it. She shook her head. "I have no idea. It was not a living creature that's for sure."

"How many of these things did you kill?"

"Seven."

"In the past few days, how many Rangers have you lost in total?"

"Seven."

"So, two of your rangers died to these creatures," concluded Sylvanas.

Alleria nodded. "They came out of nowhere after we burned the corpses of the fallen farmers, rangers and of the hooded men and women. It turned out that fire is very effective against them. I threw one of them in the fire and it was burned to ashes rather quickly. But its screams were horrible... I feared that my eardrums would burst and my ears would bleed, fortunately, they didn't."

"Our mages will be very effective against them," Sylvanas concluded.

"Fire arrows will do it too," said Nathanos. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the human who belonged to one of her best rangers. He wore a green and brown coloured uniform, his hood was pulled down so his brown, medium-long hair could be seen. He had a full beard and green eyes.

"I assumed that but thanks for mentioning it."

"We already knew that undead creatures exist. The question is: Does an army of them exist that might march towards our borders?" asked Lor'themar Theron, who was Sylvanas' third-in-command after her best friend Verena who was her second-in-command.

"That's the big question we all are asking ourselves," replied Sylvanas.

Sylvanas looked at her older sister. "We have to send out more scouts and hope they return.

"You want them to scout the territories that belong to Lordaeron?"

"Once belonged to Lordaeron," corrected Sylvanas.

"We still don't know if it has really fallen. We only know about the rumours. For now, Lordaeron still exists for us."

"I still can't believe that Arthas should have done all these horrible things. What he did in Stratholme was already inexcusable but killing his own father and dooming his own kingdom... I know Arthas since he was little, so I would have never believed he would be able to do something horrible like that... I still can't believe it...," said Kelrian. Sylvanas' gaze landed on him. She put a hand on his shoulder and stared into his eyes, noticing the doubt that was reflected by them. But there was also disappointment which could be clearly seen.

"I hope the rumours are not true. Nevertheless, we have to assume the worst," responded Sylvanas and turned back to her sister. "Take the best scouts you have with you. I want to know if such an army exists or not. Don't take any risks. Don't try to kill these creatures if not necessary. Avoid them as best as possible and just find out if we have to prepare us for a battle."

Alleria nodded. "You should inform Ranger-Captain Brightwing and Ranger-Captain Sweetblossom to send more soldiers to the bases in the middle of Quel'Thalas so reinforcements will arrive sooner if we need them."

"Kelrian and Nathanos will ride to these bases and speak with their commanders. I will give you five rangers of my unite because you lost some of yours. I will also send out another unit that is stationed not far away from this camp. That way we will have enough rangers to scout Lordaeron."

Alleria gave her sister an agreeing nod. "Shall I go now?"

Sylvanas shook her head. "Stay and rest for the night. You will set off tomorrow in the morning. You have travelled for days, sis. You need some sleep and a warm meal. We are not at war yet, so we have time."

"But not too much time," replied Alleria.

The Ranger-General patted her sister's shoulder. "I know. Now, go to the fire and eat the soup that is still bubbling in the cocking pot."

Alleria nodded and walked away with the rest of her unit. Sylvanas' gaze fell on Lor'themar. "Bring this creature to Silvermoon. I want that the mages take a closer look at it. Bring it to Dalaran if necessary. Kelrian will open a portal for you."

The blond ranger nodded. "As you wish, Ranger-General."

"I will create the portal then," said Kelrian and closed his eyes, starting to focus his power. Sylvanas patted his back softly. "I will wait for you in my tent, honey," she said and walked back to the camp.


	7. The Beginning of the End

_"I told you that you cannot run away from the inevitable," said the man with the grey hair. The blonde woman's blue eyes were narrowed and rested on him. Her face reflected anger. She knew it wasn't looking good for her but she didn't lose hope. She was surrounded by undead creatures and then there was that man with his massive sword who was coming closer slowly. It didn't look good for her but she trusted her skills, hoping she could do something against him._

_His armour seemed to be too firm for her swords. The only uncovered body parts were his head and his neck. She could only defeat him if she would pierce her swords through these spots but that wouldn't be easy. He was pretty tall for a human. He was half a head taller than her and he was pretty fast even though his armour seemed to be pretty thick and heavy._

_"You may slay me but now you won't be able to conquer the capital city. My people will defeat you and make you pay for all the crimes you committed."_

_The man's pale lips formed a provocative smile. "I doubt it, woman. Nothing can stop me."_

* * *

_The blond man turned his head, checking his surroundings. It was totally dark so he didn't see much at first but his eyes got used to the dark pretty quickly. His surroundings became clearer over time so he could recognize the thick and large pillars that were supporting the ceiling high above him. The room was totally empty except for the large throne in front of the other side of the room._

_It took a while for him to reach that throne. As the man had expected, nobody was sitting on the throne. He had noticed that he was the only person in the room but he could still feel a strange aura. He sensed someone's presence but he didn't see anyone. He turned around, checking his surroundings once again but he didn't spot anyone. He was alone in the room, he thought that at least._

_A green flame suddenly appeared above the throne's seat. The man took a closer look at it, recognizing facial features. He recognized two eyes and a mouth which formed a satisfied smile. The man was speechless and couldn't avert his gaze from the flame that was blazing brightly._

_"I have waited for you," said an echoing voice. The voice didn't come from the flame, even though its mouth was moving. The man had the impression that the voice came from everywhere._

_"Who or what are you?" the man asked irritated._

_The flame's smile became wider. "You will find out soon enough who I am. Find me and I will tell you more."_

Kelrian woke up and checked his surroundings. He was lying on the same mattress he had laid down before falling asleep. Sylvanas was lying next to him, but unlike the last time he had a weird dream, she was not sleeping. She was awake and her blue glowing eyes regarded him curiously.

"Is something wrong?" she asked and put a hand on his cheek, caressing it carefully. She sat up and came closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kelrian responded and put his hands on her back. "I just had a weird dream."

Sylvanas stared into his eyes. "A weird dream? Tell me more about it."

Kelrian shook his head slightly. "I don't remember much. I saw a woman fighting a man in grey armour. I don't remember how he looked like, nor do I remember who that woman was. She was a high elf, I know that for sure."

A small amount of worry was reflected by the Ranger-General's eyes. Her eyes kept resting on Kelrian when he told her about the second part of the dream, he remembered much clearer.

"It was just a bad dream, honey. It's nothing you have to be worried about," she reassured him and kissed him on the lips, putting her head on his shoulder once they had pulled away.

Kelrian nodded but didn't say anything in return. He remained silent and stared at the tent's exit while thinking about the dream he just had. He was worried about what he had seen but he had no idea why. He had a bad feeling about what might happen in the future but he didn't know why. His sixth sense told him to be careful and he planned to do that.

* * *

Sylvanas' eyes were narrowed. Her ears were pricked up so she could hear better. She turned up her nose as she smelled the foul stench. She could smell the undead from afar. She could hear them. They were coming. Alleria had already confirmed that an army of undead creatures was coming closer.

Her sister had not arrived yet but the raven with her massage had. Alleria was still somewhere out there. Sylvanas was worried about her. She had no idea when Alleria would return nor did she know how large the army was.

She turned her head and looked at the rangers that lied on top of the first elfgate. It was a massive construct made out of stable grey stones, the huge doors were made out of solid wood that had been enchanted to hold out much longer against any attacker.

 _Arthas Menethil would need more than a few ghouls or skeletons to break through our doors. He would need a miracle to do that. It never fell before. Nobody managed to pass it. Not in thousands of years. He would need to look for another way to get into Quel'Thalas but our borders are secured. Unless he shows up with dragons, like the Horde fifteen years ago, I doubt he will enter Quel'Thalas._ Sylvanas thought.

She was worried about the inevitable. Arthas Menethil and his undead army would show up and they would have to fight them. She only had more than two hundred men, most of them were rangers but she also had a dozen mages and two dozen priests and paladins. The people in Dalaran had found out that the holy light was very effective against these creatures.

The ghoul which Alleria had caught, had been dead when the people in Dalaran had experimented with it. Nevertheless, had they found out that the light had left much more grievous wounds than any sword, spear or arrow. The wielders of the light will be pretty useful during the upcoming battle, she was sure of that.

Sylvanas wished she had more men. Two hundred were not enough. Many will die but she was convinced that they would fight off Arthas and his army. Their numbers wouldn't matter because the gate wouldn't fall. Hails of fire arrows would rain down on the dead while they would try to break the gate. Arthas' army will burn to ashes and he will join them. Maybe she would even capture him so he could be judged later for the crimes he committed against his own kingdom. Sylvanas was not sure what she should do with him yet.

She knew that reinforcements were coming. They would need a few days but Sylvanas was sure that the battle will not be over when they would arrive. The battle will be long and bloody but she was convinced her men will have the upper hand. Her rangers were fearless and would fight until their last breaths. They had been trained well and most of them had gained much experience during the Second War and in many battles before the Second War. She could rely on them and trusted them with her life. They trusted her with their lives and wouldn't shrink back from sacrificing their lives for the greater good. Everyone would fight to their last breaths and would sacrifice their life to save the Ranger-General.

A swarm of ravens rose from the nearest forest and flew away rapidly. "The ravens are scared," mentioned a familiar voice. Sylvanas turned around and spotted her lover who had just arrived on top of the gate. He didn't hesitate and lowered his body until he laid next to her. His presence immediately comforted Sylvanas and reduced the worry she was still feeling.

He put a hand on her left hand, caressing it softly. The corners of his lips formed a small smile, his eyes reflected worry. Like all of her soldiers, he was worried as well. He was not looking forward to the approaching battle but there was no way to avoid it. They had to stop the undead army by every means.

"How are you feeling?" Kelrian asked.

"I'm worried."

Kelrian leaned in and pressed his lips on hers. The kiss was short but good enough to satisfy her. "And now?"

Sylvanas smiled at him. "Much better. Thanks, my love."

"You are welcome, honey." Kelrian intertwined their fingers and brought her hand to his lips, kissing its back. Then he let loose of her hand and put his hand on her left cheek, caressing it while staring into her eyes. He noticed that the tension in her body loosened a little.

A lot of weight rested on her shoulders but she bore it without complaining about it. She was responsible for the safety of her people. She was responsible for the men and women who followed her. She was responsible for a lot but she still managed to stay cool. The pressure would be too much for others but not for Sylvanas. She was used to be under a lot of pressure. It was not the first time she led her people in battle and it wouldn't be the last time.

Her men believed in her skills as a ranger, as a tactician and as a leader. She also believed in herself. She was sure she could lead her people to victory and defend the first gate.

"The stench is unbearable. I hope it won't get worse. I don't want to spew out the food I ate earlier that day," Kelrian said after they had been silent for a few moments.

Sylvanas' gaze still rested on him but then she turned her head as another swarm of ravens got scared and flew to the north. To Silvermoon. "The ravens are the only animals I have heard within the past few hours. The forests are unusually quiet. The howling of the wind is the only sound coming from the south that I hear from time to time."

"The animals probably fled. I would do the same if I would be an animal. There is nothing they can do against an army of undead creatures," replied Sylvanas.

"I wonder how large his army is. I wonder where Alleria is. She should have returned already."

Sylvanas toyed with the ring on her finger. "I'm asking myself the same. We can only hope that he doesn't have too many of these disgusting creatures."

"If the rumours that he turned most of the citizens of Lordaeron into undead creatures are true, then his army must be large."

Sylvanas looked at Kelrian, noticing that he looked much more worried than before. She put her hands on his cheeks and caressed them while she stared into his eyes. She managed to comfort him but she knew it was only temporarily. He would get more worried once the enemy will arrive but she was sure he would pull himself together and focus on the battle.

"We can only hope that as many citizens of Lordaeron as possible survived the slaughter. I've heard the survivors fled to Stormwind and travelled with Lady Proudmoore to a new placebut I have no idea where that is," she said.

"I still can't believe that Arthas did all of this. I can't believe that the friendly boy, I got known to fifteen years ago, turned into that monster. How could he doom his own kingdom and kill his own father? What has he become and why has he done all these horrible things?"

A quiet sigh escaped Sylvanas' lips. She noticed the disappointment and the small amount of sadness in his eyes. "I have no idea, my love. I wish I could convince you of the opposite but I can't. I'm afraid that we will soon find out what he has become. I'm sure he will arrive at our gates in a few hours. Are you ready for battle?"

Kelrian's hand wandered to his spellblade that hung on his belt. He turned his head, looking at the bow and quiver that laid next to him. He looked back at the love of his life. "I am. Are you?"

There was not the slightest sign of doubt in her eyes. "I am."

The horrible stench became much more intensive over the following hours. The stomping of feet became louder and louder.

The undead army came in the sight of the defenders eventually. The army was gigantic, much larger than Sylvanas had expected. Nevertheless, she was not worried. She believed in the impassable gate on which she was standing. She believed in her rangers, mages and wielders of the light that will fight by her side.

Sylvanas' heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her stomach was rebelling but she kept composure and stared at the army which frontline consisted out of skeletons and ghouls. She even spotted creatures that were as tall as ogres and looked as if they had been stitched together from different bodies. They looked horrible as if they had come directly out of a nightmare. No, they looked much worse than that. But Sylvanas remained calm and didn't show that these horrible things were actually scaring her.

She kept cool and showed the enemy and her men how fearless she was. That way she encouraged those who would defend Quel'Thalas with her. Some of her men looked scared, others looked worried and but most looked determined. Everyone was ready to defend their home. They had their arrows nocked but held their bows below their waists.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at Kelrian who gave her a comforting smile and held her hand. She caressed the back of his hand with her thumb before she removed her hand and looked back at the leader of that army. He was sitting on an undead horse with fiery-red eyes. Sylvanas guessed that the distance between the gate and the army was over one hundred feet long. The man was still in her hearing range but she didn't speak to him yet.

She was scrutinising him closely. Arthas Menethil still looked human, even though his skin was very pale and his hair was as white as chalk. He wore a thick dark-grey armour that had lots of decorative elements that had something to do with death.

Many skulls and bones could be seen. The shoulder plates were massive. His armour looked very stable. Sylvanas had the impression that a simple arrow wouldn't be able to pierce through it but Arthas' head and neck were unprotected. Sylvanas recognized them as his weak points.

Her gaze wandered to the weapon he was holding. It was a massive sword with runes engraved in its blade. The sword had a similar colour scheme as the armour. Sylvanas stared at the sword longer than necessary but then she averted her gaze and looked at the hooded persons who stood not far away from him.

They were casting spells while the undead just stood there and did nothing. Sylvanas even noticed constructs behind the lines of ghouls and skeletons. She couldn't recognize them because they were too far away but she assumed that they were Arthas' siege engines.

Sylvanas looked at her mages, receiving a nod from the leader of the group. They were preparing a spell together. A domed barrier which they would wrap around the gate. Sylvanas knew that such a barrier wouldn't hold for too long. She just hoped it will buy them enough time.

Sylvanas looked back the fallen prince who hadn't moved an inch in the meantime. She stepped on the edge of the wall, making sure she had the death knight's attention before she started speaking. Her voice was loud and reflected strength, self-confidence and authority. "You are not welcome here. I am Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon. I advise you to turn back now and leave our holy lands."

She saw that the corners of his lips formed an amused smile. The amusement turned into arrogance as he replied to her. His voice was bursting with self-confidence. "It is you who should turn back, _Sylvanas._ " The way he pronounced her name told the Ranger-General that he had no respect for her. He didn't even mention her title. "Death itself has come to your lands, little elf," he added.

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed but she ignored his provocation and remained calm. "Do your worst. The elfgate to the inner kingdom is protected by our most powerful enchantments. You shall not pass, butcher."

The death knight chuckled amused, raising an eyebrow. "Butcher?"

Sylvanas' facial expression didn't change nor did Kelrian's. They stared at the human just like every other man and woman on top of the gate. "It's a fitting title, isn't it? Considering what you did to your kingdom, your people and your father."

Arthas made no comment but he looked unamused. He looked like a defiant kid. The sound of his voice gave Sylvanas another proof that he was not amused. "I give you one last chance, _Sylvanas_. Surrender, open the gates and let us pass. I promise that I will spare as many elves as possible."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed again. She didn't even intend to think about his offer. "I don't trust the words of a man who betrayed his own kingdom, murdered his own father and killed own his people. You will die if you dare to attack us."

The same arrogant grin from earlier appeared on Arthas' pale lips. "We will see who will die in the end, elf."

A hiss escaped Sylvanas' lips but Arthas was too far away to hear it. But the tensed facial expression she made was enough to amuse him. He didn't say anything else. He just sat on top of his horse, a provocative smile could be seen on his lips. He didn't expect that he would lose. He was assured of victory. Like Sylvanas had been before she had seen his gigantic army. She still thought that they would be able to defend the gate but she had become much more worried since the arrival of the army.

Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her skin was tingling nervously and her stomach was cramping up. She feared she might vomit again at the look of these ugly, partly decaying, walking corpses. But she managed to control herself and prevented that she would disgrace herself in front of her men and her enemy.

She turned her head a little, looking at her men who were waiting for her orders. She looked at Kelrian who made a serious facial expression. His narrowed eyes rested on the death knight, one of his hands held his spellblade. She knew he would draw power from it to cast spells once the battle would begin. He would probably use fire techniques. Fire will be necessary if they wanted to deal with the undead.

Sylvanas looked back at the former human, noticing that he didn't intend to attack. He was waiting. Waiting for something. Sylvanas realized that he was waiting until these weird-looking siege engines were close enough to bombard the gate and destroy the barrier around it. She also noticed that the hooded men and women, these cultists, were casting spells. They were trying to weaken the barrier, she was sure of that.

She didn't hesitate to draw an arrow from her quiver, aimed at the human's unprotected head and fired. Arthas' smile became wider as he noticed the arrow that was meant for him. He blocked the arrow with his sword, splitting it in half. Soft laughter escaped his lips as he saw the surprised expression on her face. "Nice try, Sylvanas."

Sylvanas' rangers hadn't been idle in the meantime. They had released their arrows a moment later, so a hail of arrows had rained down on these cultists, killing every single one of them. An arrow or two had been enough to kill most of them, only a few individuals had survived more than two arrows. But they had fallen in the end. All of Arthas' cultists were dead but that didn't seem to bother him. He just looked at Sylvanas and smiled as if nothing had happened.

The next wave of missiles were fire arrows that were meant to kill and burn the undead. Many undead got ignited, the fire spread quickly and killed dozens of them within a short amount of time but the army was still too large for Sylvanas' liking.

The loss of these creatures didn't bother Arthas in the slightest. He lifted his sword in the air and pointed its tip at Sylvanas. "Attack, my minions. Kill them all. Let none of them alive," shouted Arthas and ordered his undead horse to move forward. The undead creature with the fiery eyes obeyed its master and moved so did the undead army.

They were coming closer, the siege engines were firing, weakening the barrier that was still intact but Sylvanas knew it wouldn't hold out long. She fired arrow after arrow, focusing on the undead creatures. She held the tips of each of her arrows in the flames of the fire pitthat stood next to her. Dozens of these fire pits had been put on the top of the wall so every ranger could fight the undead with fire. That way the mages didn't need to use spells to ignite the arrow tips. Instead, they could use spells to kill as many undead as possible.

Sylvanas didn't aim at Arthas because she knew he would block her arrows again. Instead, she was taking out undead creatures. Each of her arrows was a hit and killed one of these ugly creatures. But they were still enough of them. Enough was an understatement. 'Too many' was the fitting expression. Each creature that fell at the front was replaced by another creature that was as fearsome as the previous one.

The creatures were very fast. The barrier had already been destroyed so nothing was stopping them from running to the entrance. It was still closed so Sylvanas was wondering what they were doing. Her eyes widened in horror as she noticed that these creatures started to climb the smooth walls. She couldn't believe that they were able to do that. It should be impossible for them to stabilize. Sylvanas expected that they would slip and fall eventually but to her horror, they didn't.

The archers and mages did their best to keep them down. Frost mages froze the claws and feet of these ghouls and skeletons to the wall, preventing that they could continue moving. Fire mages sent rays of fire, fireballs and over fire techniques at them. Even shock waves were used to knock the undead off.

Kelrian created a small fire sphere and threw it at the approaching enemies. It was one of the techniques his mentor Kael'thas had shown him. The sphere bounced from creature to creature, igniting each of them, until it expired. Kelrian had ignited several undead creatures, their loud and horrible screams echoed through the air.

These sounds were not pleasant to hear for the elves but there was no way of drowning them out. There was only one way to silence these creatures. By killing them. But that was easier said than done. There were too many of them. They couldn't kill all of them before they would arrive at the top of the wall. The mages, archers, priests and paladins gave their best but the swarm of undead was too big.

The first ghouls arrived at the top, pouncing on the nearest rangers. Sylvanas saw that one of her comrades landed on the ground. A ghoul jumped on him and sank his sharp, yellow teeth in the ranger's neck. The ranger's painful cries were loud, he tried to defend himself but another ghoul jumped on him and bit him to death.

Sylvanas felt grief as she witnessed the demise of her comradebut she didn't have time to mourn yet. She had to kill as many of these creatures as possible. She saw that one of these creatures jumped on Kelrian's back and tried to bit his neck. Sylvanas couldn't allow that her lover would be hurt by any of these creatures.

Her reaction was instantaneous. She pulled a dagger from her belt, throwing it at the creature. The dagger hit it in the eye, making it stop of a moment. That moment was enough for Sylvanas to nock an arrow and fire it, piercing the creatures' head. A loud cry escaped the creature's lips but it fell silent and its body became limp after Zetai had separated its head with a clean swing.

Kelrian was able to shake that creature off and drew his sword from his belt. He held the spellblade in one hand and the sword in the other, beheaded and cut through the undead creatures that dared to approach him.

But it didn't matter how many they killed because more and more were coming. Several of Sylvanas' men had already been killed and more would follow, she was sure of that. Nevertheless, they were able to hold the gate for the first few hours.

They lost good men and women but the undead creatures were unable to gain the upper hand and drive out the defenders. They weren't able to gain control over the top of the gate. Arcane spells and shock waves were pretty useful to get the undead off the top, while the fire was ideal to kill them before they reached the top. Ice spells only stopped them temporarily. But every second matter. Every second the frost mages bought was important for the defenders.

For a moment, Sylvanas thought that the mages got everything under control but then she spotted creatures, that looked like giant bats, in the air. They had massive wings, long and sharp teeth and large feet which talons were sharp and long. Sylvanas shot an arrow at one of these creatures. To her horror, the arrow didn't bother the creature. It didn't even injure it. The arrow had rebounded off the creature's thick, stone-like skin.

These creatures flew to the top of the gate and dove down. A few of them picked up rangers, sank their claws deep in their flesh and lifted them up. Sylvanas ordered the mages to attack these creatures. Six of these giant bats were taken out within a short amount of time but there were still enough of them in the air. They kidnapped rangers and mages, flew away with them and dropped them somewhere. The horrible noises of breaking bones could be heard.

For a few moments, Sylvanas' eyes rested on the several large bloodstains on the ground in which the shattered bodies of her comrades laid. She averted her gaze and turned around to chop off the head of a ghoul that had tried to attack her from behind. Three ghouls and two skeletons were coming closer to her. Sylvanas dropped her bow and pulled her second sword from her belt, approaching these creatures.

One of these ghouls managed to hit her left hip with its claw. The mark it left was not deep but it hurt very badly. Sylvanas gritted her teeth, ignored the pain as best as possible and didn't stop fighting, slaying all five creatures in a short amount of time. More creatures were coming but they were taken out by an arcane blast created by Kelrian.

Sylvanas gave him a thankful nod, turning her head a moment later to look at Arthas. He was still sitting on his horse and observed the siege. A pleased smile could be seen on his lips. He raised his sword, his smirk became wider as the engraved runes started to glow much brighter.

Sylvanas' gaze landed on the corpses of the cultists next to Arthas. She watched in horror as they got up even though several of them were spiked with arrows. There was one cultist that pulled an arrow out of their head as if it was nothing.

Sylvanas noticed that not only the fallen cultists were brought back from the dead. Those ghouls and skeletons which hadn't been burned stood up as well and pounced on her men again. A cold shiver ran down her spine when she realized that Arthas had also raised her fallen comrades.

The painful cries of her people became louder, much more blood was spilt and more dead bodies landed on the cold stones. She lost more and more men while Arthas bolstered his ranks with her fallen comrades. Sylvanas realized that her efforts to defend the gate only made his army larger. There was no point in defending this gate. Her men were dying for nothing.

They couldn't win this battle, not with less than one hundred men. She would need more to pose a serious threat to the undead. She needed more mages, more wielders of the light and more rangers who could shoot fire arrows at these creatures.

But she couldn't just give up the gate. She couldn't allow that Arthas would break through it. Her people wouldn't be safe if they would allow the undead to enter Quel'Thalas. Thousands of people would die because the undead would overrun the villages that laid on the way to the next gate. She couldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't retreat. She had to stay and fight. She could only hope the reinforcements would arrive soon.

Her ears twitched when evil laughter escaped Arthas' lips. She regarded him out of the corner of her eyes while killing more of his undead servants. Arthas stared at her, watching her fighting bravely. He had to admit she was good. She was an excellent fighter and was very skilled with two swords.

He knew that the Farstriders were known as the best archers in the Eastern Kingdoms but he hadn't expected that they were that good in close combat. Especially Sylvanas who had no problems dealing with three ghouls at the same time. She had even taken out a gargoyle in flight. She had rammed her sword through its head when it had dived down to pick up Kelrian.

Arthas watched her for a while, then he parted his lips and spoke a few provoking words which were directed at her. "As you can see, Sylvanas, your efforts are meaningless. All you do is making my army stronger. You should have surrendered when I offered it to you. Now it is too late. All I'm offering you now is a quick death."

Sylvanas' facial expression distorted, anger and hatred were reflected by her eyes. She snarled at him but didn't say anything in return. She turned around, her eyes widened in shock as she saw one of her fallen comrades walking towards her.

It was her friend Velon.

Blood was flowing out of a huge yawning wound in his stomach, his innards could be seen and one of his arms was twisted at an unnatural angle. He was approaching her but he was not very fast because a sword stuck in his left upper thigh. He was coming to her and Sylvanas was sure he would try to kill her.

He was no longer her friend. He was no longer one of her rangers. He was one of _them_. He was a member of Arthas' army. His skin was very pale, his eyes had a different blue colour than when he had been alive and an empty expression could be seen on his face.

Sylvanas hesitated. She wondered why she didn't attack that creature and just kill it before it would hurt her. Maybe because it looked like her friend or because she was still shocked that Arthas was using her own men against her. The creature stepped to her but it was beheaded before it was able to attack her.

Kelrian grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, shaking her until she broke out of her state of shock. He put a hand on her cheek and stared into her eyes. "They are overwhelming us, Sylvanas. We can't hold the top much longer. What are your orders?" His voice reflected panic. He was as shocked as her. He couldn't believe that he had to fight against his fallen comrades but there was no way to avoid killing the freshly raised elves.

Sylvanas could hear Arthas' evil laughter in the background but it was soon drowned out by other sounds. Sylvanas noticed that the gate was shaking. The creatures, that were made out of various bodies, were banging against the double doors. Most of them had three arms that held massive weapons with sharp blades. There were also ugly spider-like creatures who were attacking the defenders at the top. They shot threads at them, bound their limbs together or snatched their weapons away.

Sylvanas realized that these huge creatures and the siege engines would break through the gate sooner or later even though it had been enchanted. There was no way to deny the truth. The impossible had happened. The elfgate was about to fall for the first time in elven history. There was no point in trying to defend it any longer.

She would only lose more soldiers than she already had if they would keep fighting. She would lose Kelrian too. She would lose her own life. She would lose the baby she assumed was growing in her belly. She had no proof that she was pregnant but she had the feeling she was. She wouldn't have vomited in the middle of the day, before having seen any of these undead creatures, if she wouldn't be pregnant.

The battle was lost. There was no way to defend the gate. All she could do was to save as many lives as possible. They had to retreat and fall back. They had to regroup with the reinforcements and defend the inner gate.

"We have to fall back and regroup," she hissed. She noticed the worry in her lover's eyes but she didn't say anything else to him. She turned her head and looked at Zelen. "Recruit Zelen, I want you to go to Silvermoon and tell them what happened. Take one of our remaining horses. Tell the Council of Silvermoon to mobilize our army and send it to the inner gate. Inform the mayors of the villages that lay on the way and tell them to evacuate everyone. You have to hurry."

Zelen nodded and climbed off the gate, mounted a horse and rode away. Sylvanas looked at her remaining men, noticing that she had lost more than half of them. "Shindu fallah Na! Fall back to the second gate! Fall back! Run as fast as you can and regroup."

The remaining Farstriders, mages, paladins and priests picked up the wounded and started to flee. What they were doing didn't look like a tactical retreat, more like a frantic escape. Sylvanas' remaining men ran as fast as they could. Sylvanas followed them, turning her head from time to time to make sure that Kelrian was still behind her.

She couldn't lose him, especially not after losing so many already felt bad. She had failed her people and her men. She hadn't been able to defend the gate. Not with so few men. She had never expected that Arthas' army would be so large and that they would be able to break through the gate even though it had been enchanted.

She was asking herself where her sister was. Alleria had sent her the letter in which she had told her about the undead army but apart from that, Sylvanas hadn't heard of her yet. Alleria hadn't returned yet. She was wondering if Alleria was alright. She was hoping her older sister was still alive. She didn't want to lose her.

Sylvanas heard that the double doors were busted open. The undead were coming for them. Sylvanas turned her head to look at their pursuers. The distance between her and the undead was not too large but there was a wall of fire which had been created by one of the remaining mages. Sylvanas knew that this wall wouldn't stop the undead for long but it would buy the survivors enough time. They made use of the bought time and ran as fast as they could, arriving at a bridge that allowed them to pass the wide river.

Sylvanas' men had already crossed the bridge and were waiting for her at the other side of the river. Sylvanas was still standing in front of the bridge. Kelrian stopped next to her and regarded her worriedly. Sylvanas turned her head, looking at him. He was scared. Sylvanas knew what she had to do.

She put her hands on Kelrian's cheeks, staring into his eyes before she put a quick kiss on his lips. "I want you to cross the bridge and tell the others that they should retreat to the second gate."

"I won't go without you," he said insistently.

"I know, that's why you will wait for me on the other side of the bridge."

"So we will go together?"

She nodded. "Promised."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "And what will you do now? Why don't we go together with the others?"

"Because I want to buy as much time as possible. I want you to blow up the bridge once I crossed it."

Kelrian nodded and pulled her in for another short kiss. Sylvanas signalized him to go once he had pulled away. Kelrian didn't hesitate to cross the bridge and walk to two familiar persons. Verena regarded him for a few moments before she looked at her best friend who was standing in the middle of the bridge and waited for some reason she didn't know.

Kelrian regarded Verena and Zetai closely. Verena was wounded. There was an ugly-looking wound on her left forearm. It looked as if one of these undead creatures had bitten her. It looked horrible but she would survive it. She was still able to move her arm, it hurt every time she did that but she could bear the pain.

Zetai was uninjured but even he looked scared. Kelrian had never thought that anyone or anything could scare him. He had always considered Zetai as the bravest person he knew. He had always thought that Zetai didn't fear anything. He had even thought that Zetai wouldn't know what fear was. It seemed he had been wrong but he couldn't hold that against him. It was only natural to fear such horrible creatures.

"What is Sylvanas doing?" asked Verena and regarded her best friend worriedly.

"She wants me to blow up the bridge once she had crossed it. She wants you to lead the survivors to the second gate," Kelrian said. The redhead didn't react for the first few moments but then she gave him a nod and turned around, signalizing Zetai to follow her. Zetai put his hand on his friend's shoulder and looked at him for a few moments. "Stay safe, Kel."

The blond man nodded. "You too, Zetai. I will see you at the second gate."

The man with the blood-red coloured hair nodded and turned around, walking away with his superior. Kelrian's eyes rested on them for a few seconds before he turned around and looked at Sylvanas who was still standing in the middle of the bridge. He knew she was scared but she didn't show it. She appeared strong and showed Arthas Menethil, who was coming closer and closer with his undead army, that she was not afraid of him.

Kelrian knew he would arrive in a few minutes, so he didn't hesitate to do what Sylvanas had requested. He drew his spellblade from his belt and held it in his left hand while preparing the spell.

The huge army stopped not far away from the bridge. Arthas was still holding his sword in his left hand, his face was still reflecting arrogance and a triumphing grin could be seen on his pale lips.

Kelrian noticed the furrow left by the undead. The land around them was dying. The ground on which the undead had set foot, had become grey and infertile. Like all high elves, he had a close connection to nature so he knew that no plant will ever grow again on the wide and long furrow the undead were leaving behind them wherever they walked. He could only hope that the mages would be able to do something about it once the death knight and his terrifying army had been driven out of their lands.

"Your pathetic little gate didn't stop me, Sylvanas," Arthas said eventually.

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. She just stared at him in the most frightening way but that didn't impress him at all. She showed him how fearless she was but he knew she was just pretending. He knew that she was afraid of him and his army. He knew that she was afraid of what was awaiting her people.

Arthas' gaze shifted to Kelrian who was looking at him the same way. Kelrian was very angry at Arthas. He couldn't believe that the young boy he had met fifteen years ago had turned into this monster that commanded these creatures to slaughter his friends and comrades. He couldn't believe that this man, who would have done anything to protect his people, had turned into a monster and doomed his people. The same monster was now planning to do the same with the high elves.

Rage started to overwhelm Kelrian but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He had cast too many spells during the battle. He was too exhausted. He had invested the last remains of his power in the preparation of the spell that would blow up the bridge.

He wished he could attack Arthas somehow but he had not enough power left to do that. He would need time to rest. Time in which his power could recover. He had no mana potions left so he could only wait for the recovery of his power.

Arthas was still regarding Kelrian, an amused smile could be seen on his lips. "If that's not Ranger Sunsinger. It has been a long time since I saw you last."

"Ranger-Lieutenant Sunsinger," corrected Kelrian.

"It doesn't matter which rank you have, Kelrian. Your rank won't save you."

"Don't you dare to take his name in your dirty mouth," hissed Sylvanas.

Arthas chuckled and looked back at the brave woman. "You should have told your lover to run away like the rest of these cowards you call soldiers."

"I will never leave her side," replied Kelrian. Arthas' gaze shifted to him. "Then you will die with her."

Kelrian didn't respond to that. Instead, he said something which was meant to provoke the death knight. "What would Jaina say if she would see you now? I doubt she will recognize the man she once loved. I feel bad for her. I think she is regretting now that she chose you over Kael'thas. Prince Kael'thas would have been so much better than you in all things." The corners of his lips formed a small smirk when he noticed that his provocation had worked. Arthas was biting his bottom lip hard. He was very angry.

An angry scream escaped his lips. "I will kill you, son of a dirty elven whore." He lifted his sword and ordered his minions to attack. The first rows of skeletons and ghouls moved towards the bridge. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to cross the bridge, waiting until enough undead foes were in the middle of the bridge.

She gave Kelrian the signal and the ranger-mageblew up the bridge, killing twenty-five undead creatures at the same time. A loud roar escaped the death knight's lips. "You son of a whore. I will kill you slowly when I catch you. Your death and the death of your whore of a lover will be inevitable. You cannot outrun the inevitable. Remember my words."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, a frown appeared on her forehead. "You think that we are running from you?" she asked confused, tilting her head. "Apparently you've never fought elves before. Anyways, I suggest you turn back now because you will never get through the second gate."

Sylvanas' eyes rested on the angry death knight, out of whose mouth nothing but insults came out, for a few moments before she averted her gaze and looked at Kelrian. Kelrian was still angry but the anger faded quickly as he stared into Sylvanas' beautiful eyes. "We should go."

Kelrian nodded and took her hand. He looked at Arthas for the last time before he turned around and ran away with Sylvanas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters won't be easy to read and very emotional at some points.


	8. A Heartbreaking Farewell

Sylvanas stood on the top of the gate as she looked over the reinforcements which had just arrived. Two thousand men were standing behind the second gate and were ready to defend their home. Two thousand men were not enough for Sylvanas' liking but they were better than nothing. They would pose a larger threat to Arthas' undead army than the two hundred men she had for the defence of the first gate.

Sylvanas was wondering if she would have been able to hold the first gate with these two thousand men. She was not sure of that but she assumed they would have taken out more undead creatures. Among the reinforcements were nearly one hundred mages from Silvermoon. Most of these soldiers were Farstriders. There were also a few dozens of paladins and priests which would be pretty useful against the walking corpses. Sylvanas knew that she needed every soldier she could get so she even allowed citizens, who wanted to defend their homeland, to join the battle. Those who couldn't fight were told to flee to Quel'Danas and take shelter there.

Sylvanas couldn't deny that she was concerned even though she and her men had arrived at the second gate which was protected by an ancient and powerful barrier. She should feel safe behind it but for some reason, she didn't. She was still worried about the gigantic army that would arrive sooner or later. Days had passed since the fall of the first gate. She hadn't been able to get much sleep in the past days. She had been constantly on the move with the survivors of the battle. They had done only little rests and barely slept more than a few hours every day. She had had nightmares that had woken her up every night and she had been unable to get back to sleep once she had woken up.

Sylvanas didn't feel good at all but she didn't show it to others. She gave the others the impression that she was still the strong and fearless woman, even though she was no longer fearless. What she had seen had left marks on her. She couldn't forget what she had seen. She couldn't forget the deaths of her friends and comrades nor could she forget the way the fallen had looked like after this butcher had raised them. Lots of her former friends and comrades were now fighting in the ranks of the death knight who wanted to attack Silvermoon for a reason Sylvanas didn't know.

She could only hope that everything will turn out well. She had more men now and the ancient barrier Ban'dinoriel protected the second gate and her people. Arthas wouldn't be able to pass it, no matter how hard he would try. He didn't know that he would need three hidden keys to deactivate the barrier. But he would never find out about these keys because no high elf would be dumb enough to tell him about them and the places where he could find them. Sylvanas knew only one person who might do that but that person was rotting in a cell in the prison of Silvermoon.

Sylvanas turned her head as she was brought out of her thoughts by a hand that was put on her shoulder. Next to her stood her best friend and looked at her with a neutral expression on her face. Normally, Verena was a very vivid and happy person but she had no reason to be happy during this crisis.

Like Sylvanas, she had witnessed the disaster at the first gate. She had witnessed how easily Arthas Menethil and his undead army had surpassed their defence. The worst was that it didn't cost him anything while Sylvanas had lost lots of her rangers, mages and wielders of the light.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said the redhead as she stared at the horizon. Sylvanas put her hands on her best friend's shoulders, turned her around and forced her to look at her. She stared into her eyes. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

Verena didn't respond verbally. She just stared into Sylvanas' beautiful eyes, the corners of her lips formed a weak smile. Verena stared back at the horizon once Sylvanas had released her. She did that for a while and then turned around, regarding the rangers that were climbing the stairs to the top of the walls. Her gaze wandered to the tower where Sylvanas' best men were stationed. On top of the tower stood a dozen rangers and inside the tower were two dozen rangers who would shoot out of the windows at any attacker who would dare to approach the gate.

"Ban'dinoriel will protect us," Sylvanas said quietly. Verena just nodded but didn't say anything. Her gaze wandered to Kelrian who looked out of one of the many windows. It seemed that he was staring at the horizon while thinking about something.

Verena turned back to the Ranger-General. "How are you feeling?"

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at her. "I'm not sure how I'm feeling at the moment, to be honest. I'm worried. I'm scared, really scared for the first time of my life. These creatures... I have seen a lot during my over one hundred and forty years as a ranger but I have never seen something horrible like that. This army... These creatures... are so horrible. The way they look and the way they behave... They are mindless and just follow the orders of Arthas no matter what he wants from them." Sylvanas made a small pause and took a deep breath. "But I believe we can hold the second gate. We have lost the first one but we won't lose the second."

"You are right. Nobody ever managed to surpass the inner gate. The trolls and orcs invaded our lands through different ways but this arrogant prince decided to take the hardest way. It seems he wants to break through the second gate to demonstrate his power. But he will fail. His arrogance will be his undoing," responded the Ranger-Captain.

Sylvanas nodded hesitantly. "I hope so." Doubt and grief were reflected by her eyes as she thought about her fallen man which she had failed. They were dead because she had underestimated the enemy. It was all her fault. She was a terrible leader.

Verena put her hands on Sylvanas' cheeks and forced her to stare in her eyes. "Hey, Sylvie, don't be so hard on yourself. We tried our best but we couldn't defend the gate with only two hundred men. It was not your fault. Nobody would have been able to defend the first gate with only two hundred men against such a gigantic army. You didn't fail our fallen comrades. It was not your fault. You gave your best. Don't be so hard on yourself, would you do me that favour?"

Sylvanas nodded. Verena kissed her cheek softly, giving her a small and comforting smile. Verena regarded her for a few moments before she turned around and looked at the horizon again. "Now we can only wait until this bastard shows up. We will avenge our fallen and burn every single of these mindless, miserable creatures. I'm looking forward to seeing the surprised face he would make when he finds out that he and his army can't pass the barrier."

Sylvanas just nodded and didn't say anything in response. Like her best friend, she was staring at the horizon. She assumed that Arthas and his army would need a few hours to arrive. She was hoping that he would need much longer. The longer he would take, the more time her people would have to evacuate the villages and flee to Quel'Danas.

Normally, Sylvanas wouldn't evacuate the villages and towns because she didn't expect that Arthas would break through the second gate. But after she had witnessed the disaster at the first gate, she thought that everything was possible. She had never thought that he would get through the first gate. She should expect that he wouldn't get through the second gate but for some reason, she had a bad feeling about everything. That was the reason why she had told a few groups of rangers to evacuate everyone outside Silvermoon City. The citizens of Quel'Thalas will be brought to the capital city and then go through portals that will teleport them to Quel'Danas, the isle where the Sunwell stood.

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow as someone appeared on the horizon. The person was riding on a horse and followed by four other persons who were also riding on horses. Sylvanas didn't know who it was at first but then she recognized that person eventually. It was her sister Alleria and four of her rangers. They surpassed the barrier and rode through the gate that had been opened in the meantime. Sylvanas hurried down the staircase and nearly threw herself at her older sister who had just jumped off her exhausted horse.

The surprised Ranger-Captain caught her sister and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in a tight hug. Sylvanas kissed Alleria's left cheek and put her head on her shoulder. "I thought I lost you," whispered Sylvanas. She inhaled her sister's scent and pulled away eventually, wiping tears of joy from her cheeks.

Alleria gave her a small smile. "I would never leave you, dear sister. Especially not in these difficult times." Her gaze wandered from her sister to Kelrian who had just walked out of the tower and approached them.

"Where have you been, sis?" Sylvanas asked, linking arms with her lover who greeted Alleria and then pressed a kiss on Sylvanas' temple.

"I scouted Arthas and his army as you requested but he noticed me and sent several of these bat-like creatures after us. We tried to shake them off but they kept following us so we lured them away. They stopped following us when we came to the east coast, we hid for a few hours before we decided to return to the nearest base to mobilize the evacuation of the nearest villages. We heard about the fall of the first gate so we decided to go to the second. But then we spotted Arthas Menethil talking to one of the archmages from Silvermoon. We dismounted, hid in the near and listened to the conversation."

Sylvanas noticed the worry in Alleria's eyes. She knew something, Sylvanas was sure of that. "I assume that there is something you want to tell me. What did they talk about? Who was that archmage?"

Alleria exhaled loudly and shook her head in disappointment. "It was Dar'Khan Drathir."

Sylvanas frowned as she heard that name. She knew that man pretty well. He was a true asshole who had taken advantage of the feelings of her younger sister to gain material benefits and influence. He had dumped her later like a hot potato after he had gotten what he wanted. He was not a good person. He only cared about himself and never gave a shit about the others. Sylvanas had a bad feeling about what Alleria might say next.

Alleria put her hands on Sylvanas' shoulders, staring into her grey-blue eyes. She signalized her that she was dead serious about what she had to tell her. "Arthas knows about the keys. Dar'Khan told him everything about the moon crystals."

Sylvanas' eyes widened in shock but she was not the only one who reacted that way. The other elven rangers around her were as shocked as she was. Nobody had expected that any high elf would betray their people and tell this butcher about the moon crystals."

"Why did he do that? Did Arthas torture him and force him to give him the information?"

Alleria shook her head slowly. "Dar'Khan did it voluntarily."

Sylvanas was silent, not knowing what to say. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. It sounded like a joke to her. A very bad joke. But the look on her sister's face told her that she was not joking. Alleria was dead serious about this.

"I can't believe this," Sylvanas said quietly and averted her gaze, looking away from her sister, her best friend and her lover. She looked into the bright sky, a thoughtful look could be seen on her beautiful face. Kelrian stepped closer to her, took one of her hands and intertwined their fingers. "Are you okay, honey?"

Sylvanas waited a few moments before she gave him an answer. "I guess I'm fine but... I don't know. I'm shocked, disappointed and mad at the same time. I can't believe that this bastard told the other bastard how to surpass our defence. We can't defend the gate for long if Arthas manages to break Ban'dinoriel."

Kelrian stepped in front of his lover and tried to look in her eyes but she averted her gaze. Kelrian put a hand under her chin but he didn't lift it yet. "Look at me, honey. Please." Sylvanas hesitated but then she lifted her head and stared into his beautiful sky-blue eyes, noticing that she calmed down and her heartbeat became slower until it was normal again. She had calmed down and relaxed just by looking at him. "Everything will be alright, my love," Kelrian added when he noticed that he had her attention.

Sylvanas nodded and returned the kiss Kelrian had just initiated. The kiss was very short and not passionate enough for Sylvanas' liking but it was enough for her for the moment.

"We have to do something, Sylvanas," said Alleria. She waited until her sister had turned around and looked at her before she continued. "You are right that we can't hold the gate forever. But we can buy as much time as possible. Someone needs to go to Silvermoon and bring more reinforcements."

"I sent one of my recruits to Silvermoon when the first gate fell. I assume he has already arrived."

"We need to send another. We need more reinforcements. The Silvermoon Guards should help to evacuate the towns and villages while we hold off the undead," Alleria said insistently.

"The guards will take too long to reach the villages which hadn't been evacuated yet. I will send out a few groups of recruits which will be led by Ranger-Lieutenants. They will make sure our people reach Silvermoon before the undead do."

"Am I the only one who has the impression that our Ranger-General doesn't believe we can defeat that army?" asked a familiar voice. Everyone turned their heads and looked at the muscular high elf who had listened to the conversation the entire time.

"I'm just realistic Zetai. You have seen with your own eyes how easily the undead had overwhelmed the first gate. We can't stop them without the magical barrier. If Arthas has the keys, he will deactivate it and there will be nothing left that will protect us. We might have more men now but you noticed that we only made his army stronger when we tried to defend the gate. Things won't be different this time. All we can do is fight and buy as much time as possible, so our people can flee and get to safety," Sylvanas explained.

"Flee and then what? Nothing will stop the fallen prince from attacking the capital city if Ban'dinoriel is deactivated. I see no point in fleeing. All we can do is killing that bastard. The undead army will be nothing without their leader. If we kill Arthas, we can stop the invasion."

Kelrian sighed loudly, turned his head and looked at his best friend. "This won't be easy at all. He split the Ranger-General's arrow with his sword. The arrow was so incredibly fast but he still saw it coming. He will be difficult to kill because of his thick armour and his sword. Also, I doubt he will join the siege. He will wait and let his mindless undead army fight for him."

"I see things like Kelrian," said Verena.

"So do I," Alleria and Sylvanas sat at the same time. Nathanos was standing next to Sylvanas and gave Kelrian an agreeing nod. Zetai's eyes were narrowed but he didn't say anything at first.

"How does our plan look like? Does this mean that we already admitted our defeat? Does this mean we already accepted that we can't win against the undead?" the muscular ranger asked after a while.

Sylvanas looked at Zetai, sadness was reflected in her eyes. "I'm afraid to have to answer it in the affirmative. As bad as this sounds, I don't think we can stop them. We have far too few mages to get rid of the massive amount of undead. Each soldier his army slay will join their ranks. We will lose too many soldiers while he will gain more in total. We might burn lots of them but it won't make a difference. All we can do is buy as much time as possible. That's our duty. It's my responsibility as Ranger-General to protect the civilians. We have to evacuate them and buy as much time as possible. Even if we have to sacrifice our lives to buy them enough time. Is that clear to anyone?"

Everyone but Kelrian nodded their heads. Worry and sadness were reflected by his face. He put a hand on Sylvanas' cheek and stared into her eyes. "Does that mean we will die today?"

Sylvanas' eyes became watery when she saw him like that but she managed to hold her tears back. "I'm afraid but it's inevitable. Maybe we can survive a few days but I doubt we will make it out alive. But we can't just flee and let the undead kill innocent people. We have to fight them and keep them busy as long as possible. I doubt that the undead can swim so if the people arrive in Quel'Danas, they should be safe."

Kelrian was silent and averted his gaze, staring at his feet. The others seemed to have already accepted the sad truth but he didn't accept it yet. He still couldn't believe everything that was happening. Everything seemed like a bad nightmare to him but the sad truth was that everything that was happening was real. Arthas Menethil and his undead army were coming for them and there was no way to run. All they could do was to fight until their last breaths and buy as much time as possible for the civilians.

He wished it wouldn't be real but it was real, unfortunately. There was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't prevent the inevitable. He could only admit that Sylvanas was right. They had to delay the invasion of the undead army as long as possible, so the population of Quel'Thalas could be evacuated. Kelrian thought about his and Sylvanas' children. He had to buy enough time so they could be saved as well. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if the undead creatures would reach Windrunner Spire before it could be evacuated. He had to protect them even if that would mean losing his life.

Kelrian felt a hand under his chin which lifted it up and forced him to look at Sylvanas. Her facial expression reflected determination. She didn't look insecure or clueless. She knew what she had to do even though she knew how it would end. She didn't like to do it but she had to.

"I have a special order for you."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and gave her an irritated look. "Special order?" His voice reflected confusion. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at Alleria, Nathanos, Zetai and Verena. They nodded, knowing what she wanted from them. They walked away so Kelrian and Sylvanas could talk in private.

Sylvanas made sure they were far away from her before she turned back to look at Kelrian who was still visibly confused and wondering what was going on. It was not easy for Sylvanas to say what she had to say. "I want you to go to Windrunner Spire and make sure our children and my family will reach Quel'Danas as soon as possible."

Kelrian's facial features derailed as he realized what that would mean. He would have to leave Sylvanas if he would carry out that order. "No, I won't leave you alone."

Quiet, sad laughter escaped her lips. "You are not leaving me alone, because Alleria and our friends are still here. But what you have to do is saving the future of our family. It's our task to protect our children. They are only fourteen years old, so they need to be protected. We have to make sure that our family survives and can produce future generations if we die."

"I get your point, but can't you just order one of your other rangers to do it? Why do I have to go? I don't want to go. I want to stay by your side."

Sylvanas swallowed hard, tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she imagined the worst-case scenario. "Because I don't want our children to lose both of their parents."

"Who said you are going to die? There is still a chance that you can retreat at the last moment and get to safety."

"I doubt it, Kel. I have to fight as long as I can stand to make sure that as many of our people as possible can survive. I already accepted my death when Arthas killed most rangers in my elite squad at the first gate. His army killed our best rangers with ease. They had no chance against his army. We can't win this battle, all we can do is to save our loved ones," she said.

Her voice didn't sound determined all the time. It trembled and sounded weak from time to time. She was unable to control her emotions the entire time. She tried to appear strong but shedid not quite succeed. It had not been easy for Sylvanas to make that decision but she had made it nevertheless.

Kelrian was not happy about the order she had given him. Happy was an understatement. He was mad but not at her. He was mad and sad at the same time because she wanted to send him away. He didn't want to accept that she would probably die. He didn't want to accept that he had to leave her and couldn't spend the last hours, maybe even days of her life with her. He didn't want to accept the truth but he had to. At least, Sylvanas wanted him to accept the truth. But at the moment, he was still refusing to accept it.

"You belong to the most important persons of my life. I love you with all my heart and I don't want to lose you," he said, still staring into her eyes. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and some of them even rolled down his cheeks but he didn't care. He didn't avert his gaze and stared into the eyes of the love of his life.

Sylvanas also had tears in her eyes but she managed to hold them back. She took his left hand and kissed it. She ran her thumb over his knuckles and over the ring on his wedding finger. She regarded the blue crystal for a short moment before she looked up at him again. "I know, my love. I love you the same way you love me. You and our children are the most important persons in my life. I don't want to lose you but I don't want to lose them either.

I want you to be safe that's why you have to go to Windrunner Spire and make sure the little ones arrive on Quel'Danas alive and in one piece. I hope you will feel strong enough to make a portal to Quel'Danas once you arrive in Windrunner Spire. Maybe Zendarin will be there and help you with the portal. You have to evacuate our family. Our children are our legacy and I want them to stay alive and continue our bloodline. Don't you want the same?"

Kelrian nodded hesitantly. "Of course I want that but..." Sylvanas pressed her index finger on his lips, silencing him that way. She pulled her finger away eventually, noticing that Kelrian was trying to say something. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes while deepening the kiss. Tears ran down her cheeks while they held the kiss. Sylvanas pulled away eventually, noticing that Kelrian was also crying. He wanted to say something but he didn't find the right words. Nothing but unintelligible sounds escaped his lips.

Sylvanas silenced him again with a kiss which didn't last as long as the first one. "You have to promise me that you move on if I don't make it. It's not impossible that I survive but the chance is pretty low. You have to promise me that you will take care of our children and make sure they survive. You have to go with them to Quel'Danas and be there for them. Tell them that I will always love them and that I'm doing this for them and for our people. Tell them that I will always love them no matter what they do and I will always watch over them. You have to promise me that you will stay alive as well. I want you to survive."

Sylvanas wiped Kelrian's tears away. Her heart was aching while she was regarding him. She didn't want to send him away but she had to. There was nothing she wished more than her family to survive. Vereesa was safe in Dalaran but the rest of her family was still out there. Kelrian must bring them to safety. If she and Alleria wouldn't survive the upcoming battle then at least the rest of her family must. She wanted to have Alleria safe too but she knew that her older sister would never leave her alone. Not even if she would order her to go away. She would always stay by her side and die with her on the battlefield if necessary.

Kelrian, on the other hand, would listen to her. He was not as stubborn as her older sister. He would do whatever she would demand from him and she knew that. That was the reason why she was forcing him to go. She knew he didn't want to leave her but he had no other choice. The safety of her family was very important to her. Sacrifices must be made. She wouldn't hesitate to give her own life to save the lives of her family members and her people. She was a mother and a mother wanted nothing more than protecting her children.

She hated so see Kelrian crying but there was no way she could comfort him at the moment, no matter how hard she tried. "Always remember the good moments we shared. Remember that I will always love you. I don't want you to die so you have to save yourself and our children."

"I don't want you to die either," was all Kelrian could say.

Sylvanas gave him a sad look. "I know but my fate is inevitable. The chance that I survive is pretty low, so you have to promise me to keep going if I die. Will you promise me that?"

The tears in his eyes blurred out his vision, so he wiped them away to be able to see her clearly again. It was hard for him to speak the following words. "I will, I promise." He was sobbing and put his hands on her cheeks, caressing them. Sylvanas stared into his eyes and allowed him to wipe her tears away, doing the same with his.

Sylvanas removed her hands from his face and looked at her right hand. She regarded the ring on her wedding finger. It was a silver ring with a purple crystal that was shining brightly. She regarded the beautiful object, she had received five years ago, for nearly a minute before she removed it and handed it to her lover. "Take my wedding ring and promise me to keep it in case I make it out alive, which I doubt. Return it to me if I survive."

Kelrian just nodded hesitatingly because he was unable to say anything. His voice was too weak and his emotions didn't allow him to produce any intelligible noise except for sobs. He hesitated for nearly a minute but then he took the ring, regarding it for another minute before he put it in his leather pouch that hung on his belt.

"Then promise me to bring back mine," he said and removed his ring, handing it to Sylvanas. The Ranger-General's eyes widened, she shook her head and wanted to protest but Kelrian silenced her by putting his hand on her mouth. He removed it eventually. "I know that you don't believe you will survive but if you do, I want you to return it to me. I won't need it anyway if you die but if you live you have a reason to seek me."

More tears ran down her cheeks. "I already have enough reason to meet you again in case I survive this madness. I love you and that will never change."

"I will always love you, Sylvanas," he responded and pulled her in a tight hug, feeling her soft touch. This might be the last time he will able to see and touch her so he hugged her for nearly five minutes, caressed her back and ran his fingers through her hair. He inhaled her scent and kissed all spots of her face, even her ears and her nose.

"Pray to the Sunwell for the best outcome," Sylvanas said as they pulled away.

"I will."

They shared another kiss. The kiss was the most passionate kiss they ever shared. It might be their last one so they extended it as long as possible. They pulled away eventually, staring at each other in silence while holding hands. They turned their heads as they heard the loud horn which a ranger was blowing.

They looked at the horizon, spotting the outlines of numerous creatures. Small creatures, big creatures and even flying creatures. Sylvanas lifted her gaze and looked at the dragonhawks above her. It hurt her heart to send these beautiful winged creatures into battle but the emotional pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt when imagining Kelrian and their children getting killed by the undead.

Kelrian didn't want to leave but he had no other choice. He didn't want to admit that Sylvanas was right but he had to. He was the father of two beautiful children and it was his duty to keep them safe. He had to leave Sylvanas, even though he didn't want to, and make sure that his son and daughter would survive.

Sylvanas and Kelrian told each other how much they loved the other, they kissed again but then they parted. Kelrian hurried away and Sylvanas' watery eyes rested on him until he was out of her sight. She turned her head as she felt warm hands on her shoulders and looked at the owners of these hands. Alleria and Verena were standing next to her.

Alleria was not crying but the scene she had watched the entire time had touched her heart. She pulled her sister in a tight hug, telling her that she was ready to join her in battle and sacrifice her life for the greater good. Sylvanas didn't try to convince her to go as well nor did she try to convince her best friend. They would stay by her side until the bitter end.

"The end has come," Alleria said quietly as she stared at the horizon.

"We won't survive this battle," added Verena. Her voice reflected sadness.

"No, we won't," said Sylvanas eventually and regarded her husband's wedding ring for a few moments before she put it on her wedding finger.


	9. No Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be the hardest chapter of the story. I would lie if I would say it was easy to write. It was not. But it's inevitable. I already mentioned that this story will have ups and downs. This is chapter is one of the biggest downs but there will also be lots of ups. Stay strong guys and remain patient. The chapter will be very emotional.

Sylvanas stared at the horizon, watching the army of undead that was coming closer and closer. Numerous thoughts came in her mind. Thoughts about her family, her friends and her husband. The chance was pretty high that she would never see them again. If what Alleria had said was true, then they wouldn't stand a chance against this gigantic army. She had hoped that they could burn many of the undead before Arthas realised that he couldn't surpass the barrier. She had hoped that he would leave Quel'Thalas when finding out that there was no way for him to pass the second gate.

But if it was true that Dar'Khan Drathir had betrayed them, they wouldn't be able to hold the gate for long. She assumed they could buy their people hours, maybe even a few days but not longer than that. They had not enough mages to pose a threat to the undead army. They would only feed his army with more men, that was all that would happen. They would die but they would buy enough time for the citizens, so they would be able to flee to Quel'Danas where the undead army wouldn't be able to harm them.

Sylvanas noticed the anger that was built up in her when she thought about the traitor Dar'Khan Drathir. She couldn't believe that he betrayed the high elves and helped this butcher. She didn't understand why he did that and even if she would know the reason for his betrayal, she was sure she wouldn't understand it. Dar'Khan was a twisted person who had no moral values or honour. She assumed that Arthas made Dar'Khan promises and he was dumb enough to believe that the fallen prince would keep his promises. It wouldn't surprise her if Arthas promised him power and a high position in his undead army.

Sylvanas assumed that she wouldn't make it out alive but she was hoping she would find this traitor before her demise and kill him. She wanted his death and she hoped that someone will call him to account for his betrayal if she couldn't be the one to kill him.

Sylvanas put a hand on her belly, wondering if she was carrying a foetus inside her. A few weeks ago, she had wished nothing more than being pregnant, now she was hoping she wasn't pregnant. She had no proof if she was pregnant or not, she just had this premonition, this feeling that she was carrying a foetus in her belly. She had vomited less than a week ago which was an early sign of pregnancy but that was not proof enough. It could also be possible that she had just eaten something bad that day.

She hoped she was not pregnant because she didn't want her unborn baby to die with her. But she couldn't just leave her men at the front and die for the safety of their people while she would hide on Quel'Danas. It was her duty as Ranger-General to protect her people. Her presence will motivate her men and give them the strength to endure as long as possible and fight until their last breaths without fearing what was awaiting them.

She had to be there and fight with them. It was her duty. She was no coward. She hadn't participated in most battles of the Second War because she had been pregnant. She was sure fewer of her people would have died if she had been there and fought alongside her men.

She didn't want to abandon her people again. She would fight with them until the bitter end. Even if she would know that she would be pregnant, it wouldn't change much for her. She couldn't risk thousands of lives for only one life. And because she didn't know if she was pregnant, it had been much easier for her to make that decision. She might be a terrible mother in that case but a good leader instead. She was putting the interest of her people over her personal interest. She had to do this even if that meant she would never see her husband and her family again.

Knowing that Kelrian would take care of her family and bring them to safety comforted her. She was still worried but she was not afraid anymore. She had accepted her destiny and could only hope she and her men would buy as much time as possible.

Sylvanas turned around and looked at the rangers, mages, paladins and priests that stood at the top of the large and long gate. Lots of them stood on the walls and on the mountain chains that bordered them. She looked into the faces of many of them. They were scared, worried but also determined. Many seem to have accepted their deaths while others were still afraid of dying.

They didn't want to die. Nobody wanted that but death was inevitable. Many of them will lose their lives, only a small portion might be able to save themselves once the gate would be overrun. Sacrifices must be made for the survival of their people, their families and their loved ones. Sylvanas was sure that every single soldier wanted to protect those they loved.

There was only one thing Sylvanas could do at the moment. Cheering them up, motivate them and give them the strength and the courage they needed so badly at the moment. She knew she couldn't talk loud enough for everyone to hear her, so she told Verena and Alleria to go to the left and right sides of the mountain chains and gave the soldiers there a small motivating speech. They nodded to her and hurried away.

Sylvanas cleared her throat and started to speak as loud as she could. Her voice reflected determination and strength. "I know that many of you are worried about the inevitable. I know that many of you are scared. I know everyone doesn't want to die. I don't want to die either but we have sworn to protect our people. We have sworn to protect the defenceless and we will always keep what we have sworn. We can only protect our families, friends and loved ones if we hold the second gate as long as possible.

We have to buy the sent-out units as much time as possible, so they can evacuate the villages and towns and bring the inhabitants to Silvermoon where they will be transported to Quel'Danas. That's the only way we can guarantee that our race will not be extinguished by the butcher and his army of rotten corpses.

I don't want to lie to you so I have to tell you that many of us will die. But we won't die without a purpose. We will make sure our race will survive and can recover one day. We will burn as many of these undead creatures as we can. We won't go down without a fight. We will make our ancestors proud of us by fighting until our last breaths. We will show this butcher how fearsome we are. We will show him that we don't fear death and that we would die for the greater good.

We will meet each other in the afterlife and witness how the other kingdoms will make Arthas Menethil pay for all the crimes he had committed. He will receive his just punishment one day. That's inevitable. I expect from everyone that they will give their best and fight until they can't stand anymore. I want the mages to burn as many of these undead creatures as they can. I want everyone to burn the corpses of our fallen comrades if that's possible. We can only hope we don't end in the ranks of this butcher."

Sylvanas turned around, her eyes fell on the army that had gotten closer and closer in the meantime. She assumed that they would need less than twenty minutes to reach the gate. She could only hope that Arthas didn't have the keys. Something told her that Arthas had them which would mean that Dar'Khan Drathir had given him. They had been hidden in special places behind the second gate, meaning that Arthas would have never gotten them without help.

Not many high elves knew where the keys were. Unfortunately, Dar'Khan Drathir belonged to the ones who knew about them. And that traitor will pay for his betrayal one day. Sylvanas only wished she could be the one who could kill that bastard but she was sure he was hiding somewhere and waiting until Arthas' army had dealt with the defenders.

Sylvanas turned back to her people, noticing that most of them looked more confident, determined and less worried and scared than before. They were ready for battle. They were ready to fight and buy their people as much time as possible. They were ready to die for Quel'Thalas and its inhabitants. Sylvanas gave them the signal to make themselves ready. The mages started to prepare spells while the rangers knocked arrows and aimed at the approaching army. The undead were not in range yet but they will be soon.

Sylvanas let them wait a few minutes longer. She was sure that the army was in range, so she lifted her arm and signalized everyone that the battle was about to begin. "FOR QUEL'THALAS!" Sylvanas shouted and lowered her arm rapidly.

She took her bow from her back, drew an arrow and aimed at the front line of the enemy, smiling weakly when she noticed that hundreds of these undead creatures had been killed already. But these hundreds were nothing compared to the number of mindless servants the death knight had.

The army came closer and closer, undead fell or were burned to ashes but that didn't bother the death knight. He was still sitting on his horse and riding behind the front line. Two massive abominations stood in front of him and blocked most of the arrows that would have hit him. Also, he destroyed all the arrows, which weren't blocked by the two massive three-armed creatures, with his sword.

His army reached the barrier eventually. Hundreds were taken down while they stood there motionless but not all fallen creatures were burned. Half of the cultists raised the unburned fallen while the other half tried to extinguish the flames before they spread out. They had moderate success.

But Arthas Menethil didn't care about losing a few hundred or thousand creatures. He knew his army would be a lot larger than before once he would be done with Quel'Thalas.

The abominations moved forward, blocking more arrows for him. He followed them and pulled the key out of his saddlebag. Dar'Khan had brought him the three mooncrystals that make up the Key of the Three Moons. The key was able to deactivate the barrier around the second gate, Dar'Khan had promised him that. Arthas could only hope that the mage hadn't lied to him. He would be pretty angry if it would turn out that the elf had given him false information.

Arthas Menethil was not far away from the barely visible barrier as he lifted the key in the air and spoke the words Dar'Khan had told him. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips as he noticed that the barrier became clearly visible and dissolved quickly.

He lifted his head, a cocky smile could be seen on his lips as he looked up at Sylvanas who was firing arrow after arrow at the undead. Like all of her rangers, she held the tip of each of them in the flames of the fire pits before she shot them. The arrows of her and her rangers were more effective that way and made sure that lots of the creatures couldn't be raised again. But Arthas didn't care. It didn't bother him at all because he knew he was going to win anyway. He was convinced that he will be victorious. He didn't count on the possibility of losing.

He was certain of victory.

* * *

"That doesn't look good," analysed Verena as she regarded the wound in Sylvanas' left hip and started to dress it. One of her former comrades, who had been raised by the death knight, had stabbed her.

"Our entire situation doesn't look good," hissed Sylvanas and tried to get up but Verena held her down. "You are wounded, Sylvanas. The bandage won't hold long if you continue fighting. We have to get you out of here," she said worriedly and stared at her best friend and former lover.

"I don't think he will allow us to escape," said Alleria and stepped to her sister, squatting down next to her. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the direction Alleria was pointing.

There was the man she hated more than anyone else. She hated him even more than Xenarion, who had let her brother die instead of helping him. She would put a curse on him if she could if she would be able to use this kind of magic. All she could do was to hide in the shadows but that wouldn't be possible with her wound.

This wouldn't be possible in general, because she would have to concentrate to do so, and it was impossible for her to concentrate while she had to hear these loud and annoying noises. The sounds of battle, the cries for help, the loud noises the undead produced.

It was impossible for her to focus on anything. The smell of the undead stung in Sylvanas' nose and the noses of her comrades. She fought hard not to vomit but she managed to keep the content of her stomach inside her. There wasn't much that would have come out of it anyway. The battle lasted for two days and she hadn't eaten at all during these two days. But she wasn't hungry. She was sad and angry. Angry at Arthas and sad that she couldn't stop the inevitable.

Sylvanas looked at her sister who had taken her bow and fired arrows at the few ghouls that were running towards them. She was not the only ranger who fired at these miserable creatures. Nathanos and Zetai were behind her. They didn't have many arrows left and there was no mage in their near who could refill their quivers. They had to go with the small number of arrows they had left.

Sylvanas also had a few arrows left. She signalized Verena to let her go, the Ranger-Captain hesitated for a few moments but then listened to her superior and best friend. She got up and allowed Sylvanas to get on her feet. The wound was still hurting but she didn't care. She picked her bow up and drew an arrow from her quiver, firing at the nearest ghoul. The arrow pierced through the creature's skullcap and its brain, making it stop. A few seconds passed and then it fell forward and landed on the blood-covered ground, remaining there motionless.

The death knight's horse stopped next to the freshly slain ghouls. He still held his sword Frostmourne in his hand and regarded the creatures for a few moments, then he looked at the Ranger-General. A triumphant grin appeared on his lips as the ghouls got up and started to walk towards the rangers.

Sylvanas, her friends and her five rangers fired all of their remaining arrows and before they drew their swords to attack the approaching monstrosities. They slew ghouls, skeletons and their risen comrades but they were too many.

The ghouls and skeletons took care of the five rangers. They were either bitten to death or torn apart. Seeing their comrades being torn limb from limb was horrible to watch for anyone. One of these massive, three-armed creatures had lifted one of her rangers and squashed her body with ease. Her painful cries still rang in Sylvanas' ears.

Only she, Alleria, Verena, Nathanos and Zetai were left. They were surrounded by undead creatures. Ghouls, skeletons, abominations and even these bat-like things. Sylvanas had heard Arthas addressing them as gargoyles. They had killed most of her dragonhawks with their riders and they had even kidnapped some of her rangers and dropped them elsewhere.

One of these creatures was flying towards them. Sylvanas wished she had arrows left. She had found out in the past days that the gargoyles' bodies were invulnerable against arrows but their eyes and the insides of their mouths weren't. Sylvanas rolled away at the last moment and avoided getting picked up by the creature.

Her sister was not as fast as her and got caught by the creature. She was lifted up in the air and carried to the nearest river. Sylvanas shouted her sister's name but there was nothing she could do for her. Alleria was at the mercy of this creature and everyone knew that this creature had no mercy. It would bring Alleria somewhere and drop her from a large height, which would break every bone in her body.

Alleria tried to get free, she even hurt the gargoyles' feet with her swords but the creature didn't let her go. But it stopped suddenly as a dragonhawk attacked it. The dragonhawk had come out of nowhere and its rider was missing, nevertheless, it managed to make the gargoyle drop the Ranger-Captain. Alleria fell and landed in the wide and deep river but she managed to get to the shore before the raging current took her away. Unfortunately, she was on the other side of the river and there was no way for her to get over it. She had no arrows left so she could either watch or run away.

Sylvanas told her sister to run but the older Windrunner just stood rooted on the spot, her widened eyes rested on someone. Sylvanas followed her gaze until she looked at the same person. Arthas Menethil had dismounted from his horse, he held Frostmourne in his right hand while he slowly approached the remaining four rangers.

Sylvanas snarled as she saw him coming. Her fighting style became more fiercely as anger and despair started to overwhelm her. She wanted to kill as many of these creatures as possible even though she knew it would make no difference. They had no mage or source of fire to burn the fallen. Arthas would raise them later. Fighting was pointless but she wouldn't give up without a fight. She wanted to go down fighting like a brave warrior.

"This is pointless," shouted Zetai after he had beheaded two more skeletons with one strike.

"We have to kill Arthas. We have to try it", shouted Verena.

Sylvanas cut through two ghouls, squashing their heads with her boots. Her gaze wandered to the death knight who was smiling mischievously at her. He was coming for her, but he had to get past her three comrades first.

Her gaze fell on Alleria who was still standing at the other side of the river, tears were forming in her eyes as she watched Arthas getting closer and closer to her precious little sister. There was nothing she could do for her. She had no arrows left and she couldn't get over the deep and wide river without being carried away by the raging current. She knew she should flee but she couldn't move. All she could do was watching the happening on the other side of the river.

Arthas came closer and closer. He shoved ghouls and skeletons aside as he approached Nathanos. The human ranger's eyes reflected hatred. He was standing not far away from the former prince of his kingdom who had only needed a few days to ruin what his father had built up during his reign of over fifty years.

"That's for Lordaeron, you traitorous bastard," Nathanos cried out as he charged at the death knight. Arthas blocked his attacks with ease, pushing him away. Nathanos didn't hesitate to attack again but he didn't manage to hit Arthas who avoided or blocked all of his attacks. The ranger's blades shattered eventually but Nathanos was still not unarmed. He drew a dagger from his belt, intending to stab his foe's neck with it.

Arthas was not impressed at all. He was bored, so he rammed his sword through the human's chest. Nathanos spat a large amount of blood out, his heart was hammering and his eyes were widened in shock. The death knight put his hand on Nathanos' shoulder and pulled him closer, impaling him on his cursed runeblade.

Nathanos heard his name escape Sylvanas' lips before everything went dark around him. Arthas' smile became wider as the human ranger's body became limp and his soul was absorbed by Frostmourne. He pulled his sword out of Nathanos' lifeless body and flung it away, then he walked towards the next person who was standing between him and the Ranger-General. Sylvanas had made him pretty mad and taxed his patience over the past days, so he enjoyed killing her rangers in front of her eyes.

Zetai walked towards him, both hands held his swords tightly. He was pretty muscular and one head taller than the death knight, so it really surprised Arthas that his opponent was pretty fast for his size. Zetai tried his best but even he had no chance against the death knight. He belonged to the best rangers Sylvanas had but Arthas was much stronger than him. Zetai shared Nathanos' fate and ended up as a motionless corpse on the ground.

Arthas commanded his servants to stop fighting and step away. They obeyed him because they had no other choice, forming a circle around the remaining elves and their master. The circle was large enough so that Sylvanas and Verena had enough space to fight the death knight.

The elven women looked at each other, tears formed in Verena's eyes but she stayed strong and held them back. She knew that they were going to die because they had no chance against him. Verena knew she would never see her best friend and former lover again, so she did something she had wanted to do for decades. She approached Sylvanas, pressed her lips on hers and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to run down her cheeks this time. Sylvanas returned the kiss but pulled away after a few seconds, wiping her best friend's tears away.

She looked at Verena for a few moments before she looked at her sister who sitting on her knees in front of the river, tears were running down her cheeks. She looked back at Arthas who was also looking at Alleria for a few moments before his gaze shifted back to the Ranger-General and her second-in-command.

"Are you two ready or have you planned on making out for a while before you face the inevitable," Arthas said bored.

Verena's eyes narrowed. "Unlike you, we are capable of loving another person, monster."

Arthas smirked. "There was a woman I once loved but she betrayed me. She let me down and broke the promise she gave me. Love is nothing more than a weakness and a pure waste of time. You may be able to love someone but that makes you weak. I'm not weak. That's the difference between us."

Verena snarled and looked at Sylvanas who gave her a small nod. The two women sprinted to Arthas and attacked him at the same time. Arthas avoided their hits and pushed them away but they didn't hesitate to attack him again. They were pretty fast, so they dodged his first attacks but Arthas didn't lose his patience. He remained calm and kept fighting.

He had himself under control until the red-haired elf managed to slit his cheek with her dagger, leaving a deep cut. Arthas roared out in anger and pushed both elves away, focusing his power for a few moments. A green glowing sphere was created. He sent the blast of unholy energy at Verena and hit her.

A loud cry escaped her lips as she landed on the ground. Sylvanas rushed to her and turned her around, a shocked cry escaped her lips as her eyes fell on Verena's torso. Her chest was open, a massive amount of blood was flowing out. Whatever had hit her had heavily wounded and nearly killed her.

It was not looking good for Verena. She was bleeding to death and there was nothing Sylvanas could do for her. There was nothing she could do to save her friend or herself. She had accepted her death days ago and she had also known that Verena might die too. Nevertheless, she was churned up. She was losing her best friend she knew from an early age. She knew her since they were little girls and had played together in the sandpit.

She was the best friend she ever had. Even though Verena had always wanted Sylvanas, she had always supported her and helped her to forgive Kelrian for the occurrence that had happened fifteen years ago. She had put in a good word for him and helped them come together again. She had always been there for Sylvanas, especially during her pregnancy and after the birth of her children. Sylvanas could have gotten no better friend than her. She loved her. Not in the same way she loved Kelrian but she loved her. She had been together with her for ten years, fifty years before she had met Kelrian.

And now she was lying there and was dying in her arms. Sylvanas sat next to her, her arms were wrapped around her upper body. She put Verena's head on her lap, caressing her head. Tears ran down Sylvanas' cheeks. She had promised to herself that she wouldn **'** t break out in tears in front of that monster but seeing her best friend like this made her very sad. She couldn't control herself any longer. Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped on the woman she knew for over one hundred and eighty years.

Sylvanas' watery eyes rested on her best friend who was also looking at her. Verena put a hand on her face, caressing her cheek weakly. It was clearly visible that Verena didn't have much strength left. And not much time. She was dying faster than Sylvanas had expected. The unholy sphere had drained most of her life force.

"Sylvanas...," whispered Verena. Her voice was weak and barely hearable. Sylvanas leaned in until her right ear was very close to the redhead's mouth. "Sylvanas...Remember...That...I...That I have...always...," Verena made a long pause, it was difficult to speak for her. But she managed to complete her sentence before the blue glow faded from her eyes. "I have always...loved you...and always will..."

Verena's body became limp, her lifeless eyes rested on Sylvanas who had pulled away and was now regarding her dead friend while more tears ran down her cheeks. She kept holding her friend in her arms for a few moments before she pressed a kiss on her lips and another one on her forehead. She wiped her tears away and got up eventually, regarding the body of her best friend one more time before she turned to the butcher who was regarding her with a sadistic smile on his lips.

"Now, it's your turn, Sylvanas," he said, anticipation was reflected by his eyes.

Sylvanas gritted her teeth and lifted her swords, holding them in front of her chest. Her hood was missing, her cape was ripped in shreds and her blonde hair was dirty and tousled. Her armour was damaged and covered by the blood of undead creatures but also covered by the blood of her best friend.

Sylvanas knew she would have no chance against him. She knew she couldn't defeat him but she wouldn't go down without a fight. She was a warrior and she would go down like a warrior. She would die fighting and show this butcher that he could take her life but never her fighting spirit.

She held her swords tightly which blades were covered in blood. Her hands were shaking slightly and the blood was flowing out of the wound in her hip because the provisional bandage had become loose. She ignored the pain she was feeling and the blood that ran down her legs.

Sylvanas was ready for a fight. She was ready to die. She didn't want to die but she knew there was no way she could avoid death. This monster will strike her down. She was just glad that Kelrian wouldn't see this. She was glad that she had convinced him to bring their children and their families to safety. She only wished that Alleria wouldn't be standing there and would run away instead but she was in a state of shock. She couldn't take her eyes off the horrible scene. Sylvanas had tried to get her attention but the raging current was too loud, so Alleria couldn't hear her.

Sylvanas wished her sister would run away, so she wouldn't have to see what was about to happen. Unfortunately, Alleria just sat there and watched her, more tears ran down her cheeks. Sylvanas was just glad that none of these undead creatures was able to cross the river. The dragonhawk and the gargoyle had killed each other so no winged beast was there to attack Alleria. Both winged creatures had landed in the river and had been carried away by the current, meaning the death knight was not able to raise them.

"You want a piece of me, butcher? Come and get me, coward."

Arthas smirked. "Coward? Who has been running from me since we met? I'm sure it was you who avoided fighting me. But you already told me that its normal for you and your disgusting people to run away. But you can't run away from the inevitable. Not this time."

Sylvanas' facial features didn't change at all. Anger, hatred and sadness were still reflected by her eyes. She thought about Kelrian, about the good moments they had shared before she started to move towards Arthas.

The death knight pointed the tip of his sword at her but he didn't attack her. Instead, he used the necromantic power Frostmourne granted him and raised the fallen. Sylvanas had expected that he would do that but it still shocked her to see her fallen comrades get up and turn around to face her.

Sylvanas knew she had to strike them down to reach the butcher who did nothing but regarding the spectacle. The five rangers fell quickly. Sylvanas whispered all of their names as she rammed her swords through the chests of the freshly raised Farstriders. Velonara, Leorielle, Veran, Basmun and Valine.

They had been turned into mindless creatures. They weren't as skilled and agile as they had been in life. They were no challenge for the Ranger-General. Nathanos, Zetai and Verena, on the other hand, were different. Their movement hadn't changed at all. They were still pretty fast and deadly but Sylvanas managed to take them out too. Nathanos' body fell first, Zetai was much harder to take down but she managed to ram her swords through his chest.

The freshly risen Verena the hardest of the three but Sylvanas knew her friend's fighting style and her movements inside out, so she managed to disarm her and end her suffering by ramming her sword through her chest. A quiet sob escaped Sylvanas' lips as the undead woman's body became limp and fell to the ground. She regarded her slain friends for a few moments before she turned to the man who was responsible for all of this.

Arthas was just standing there and looked at her. He even showed Sylvanas that he was impressed by her combat skills. She lived up to her reputation. She was the best high elf ranger he had ever seen. He was looking forward to bolstering his ranks with her. She will make an excellent servant who would help him to defeat everyone who would get in his way.

Sylvanas didn't hesitate and sprinted to him. Arthas took a swing and struck but Sylvanas dodged his attack by jumping to the side. Sylvanas dodged his first few attacks and tried to hit his head but he blocked or dodged all of her attempts.

Sylvanas realized soon enough that Arthas could have hit her already if he wanted but he didn't. He was toying with her and that amused him. He didn't consider her as a threat and the worst was that Sylvanas wasn't able to punish his cockiness. She would have loved to wipe that cocky grin off his face. But she was not able to do that. She was not strong enough to defeat him alone.

She was wounded and losing stamina with each of her moves while Arthas moved as if he was not afraid that he would ever get tired. He was a death knight, which meant he had much more stamina than most living creatures. A few minutes had passed and Sylvanas was already out of breath and exhausted.

Normally, she would never get exhausted so quickly but she had fought for days without having been able to eat or sleep. She had constantly fought against his servants and her raised comrades. These combats had cost a large portion of her stamina and the past minutes had consumed her reserves.

She barely had the strength left to keep standing. She was breathing heavily and was pressing her left hand on her wound. Her body was hurting. Her limbs, her lungs and her head were hurting pretty badly. Her feet were swollen and hurt with each step she made but the condition of her body didn't stop her from moving. She knew her body couldn't take it anymore but she kept fighting.

Arthas didn't even have to do much to dodge her attacks. She was moving much slower than before, so he foresaw each of her attacks and just made slight steps to the side to avoid them. Arthas was convinced that she had no strength left. He was sure that she would collapse soon. He was all the more surprised that Sylvanas' movement suddenly became much faster.

She focused the remains of her stamina and strength in her next attack. She was faster than a lynx and managed to graze his cheek with her sword. A long and deep cut was left on his cheek. The cut began near the left corner of his mouth and ended beneath his left eye. Together her cut and the cut Verena had left made a cross. Arthas snarled out in anger, his blood was boiling and his eyes were narrowed.

"How dare you, filthy bitch," he snapped and hit her across the face with the back of his gloved left hand. Sylvanas staggered backwards and fell to the ground. Blood was flowing out of her nose and her bottom lip. A triumphant grin could be seen on her bloody lips. She was not able to kill him but at least she had ruined his handsome face forever.

Sylvanas didn't need to look twice to know that a scar will be left once the wound had healed. She had marked him forever. It was only a small and meaningless victory but it was better than didn't want to let the butcher go unharmed out of the battle. He should never forget her and all the lives he had destroyed. He should always remember Sylvanas Windrunner.

"That's for Verena and every life you have destroyed, butcher," Sylvanas spat out.

Arthas gritted his teeth angrily and walked over to her. "You will regret that," he hissed and picked her up, lifting her in the air. He started to strangle her, a sadistic smile could be seen on his lips as he regarded Sylvanas struggling for air. Her face turned blue, her grey-blue eyes were widened and her mouth was open. Her suffering satisfied him but he was not satisfied enough yet. He dropped her and kicked her in the stomach. One time, two times, three times in total. Sylvanas was writhing in pain and coughed out blood.

Arthas squatted down next to her, pulled her up and put his hand under her chin, lifting it. He gave her a mischievous grin. "You are as good as dead and your sister is an emotional wreck. Look at her. She could have fled already but instead, she is still sitting there and does nothing. What she has seen must have really shocked her. Don't worry about her, she will join you soon." Arthas laughed evilly and got up, putting the tip of his cursed runeblade under her chin, lifting it so she was forced to stare at him.

Her eyes still reflected anger. She wanted to look at her sister but she couldn't because she couldn't turn her head. She only saw her out of the corners of her eyes. Alleria was still staring at her, she had stopped crying but she was sobbing loudly.

There was nothing Alleria could do to help her sister. There was no way to pass the river. She couldn't swim through it because the current was too strong. Even if she would be able to cross the river, she only would die like the rest of Sylvanas' rangers. There was nothing she could do. She couldn't even run away. She was too shocked to get up and move.

"You fought well, I have to admit that. You are indeed the best ranger in Quel'Thalas. But not good enough. Is there anything you want to say, Sylvanas? Any last words? For your lover who is somewhere out there and hides from me? Don't worry about him. You will meet him soon."

_"_ You may slay me now but you won't conquer the capital city. My people will defeat you and make you pay for all the crimes you committed.

Arthas' lips formed a provocative smile. "I doubt it, woman. Nothing can stop me and nobody can defeat me."

"You will be put to justice one day. You can't slay all life on Azeroth."

Arthas' raised an eyebrow. "Can't I?"

Sylvanas spat at him. "The kingdoms and nations will unite, defeat your rotting army and end your worthless life."

"We will see, woman," he said and pulled Sylvanas on her feet. He stared into her eyes as he pressed the tip of his sword against her exposed stomach, drilling it into her flesh. A sharp, pained cry escaped her lips. The cry became louder as he rammed his sword through her abdomen.

_"But you want to become a Farstrider, right?" Sylvanas asked._

_"Yes, I do," answered Kelrian determinedly._

_"Why do you want to become one of us?" Sylvanas asked, giving him a smile, which signalized him that he didn't need to be afraid._

_"I want to do something useful for the citizens of our kingdom. Protecting those who cannot fight from dangers like orcs, trolls or wild beast counts as useful."_

The pain was immense and barely bearable. Her vision blurred for a few moments but then became clearer again. She was lying on the wet ground, blood was flowing out of the huge wound in her abdomen. The runeblade had pierced her upper body. It was pointless to press her hands on the wound because she couldn't stop the bleeding. She heard the cries of her sister but she didn't turn her head to look at her. She felt too weak to do that. She felt too weak to do anything. Her strength had left her. Life was leaving her slowly. She was not dead. Not yet.

He hadn't finished her, instead, he let her bleed to death. Sylvanas put a hand on her belly, covering the yawning wound. She was not been sure if she had become pregnant or not. But she no longer had to ask herself that question because the foetus, if it had existed, was gone for sure after Arthas had rammed his sword through her abdomen. Arthas may or may not have killed her baby, she couldn't know that. She only hoped she had not been pregnant because imaging Arthas killing her child pained her.

Weeks ago, she had hoped to get pregnant as soon as possible but at this very moment, she was just hoping that she had not been pregnant and she had just vomited a week ago because she had eaten something bad.

A quiet curse escaped her lips but the death knight didn't hear it. He was regarding the blood on his blade while she was lying there and struggled to stay awake. She was feeling cold. She noticed that her skin had become very pale due to high blood loss.

All she could do was to remember the good moments of her life while she was dying slowly.

_"I do. I will get a lot better within these four years. I promise."_

_Sylvanas smiled. "I hope you do. We can always need someone who is as motivated as you are. We need more motivated recruits."_

_Kelrian returned her smile. "I'm glad that you think that I can pass the next examination. I will give my best."_

_Sylvanas chuckled and nodded. She patted his shoulder softly and gave him another smile. "I guess I will see you in four years. Farewell, Kelrian Sunsinger."_

_"I will give my best. Farewell, Ranger-General." He waved and looked at her for a few moments before he turned around and walked away, leaving the training area behind him._

Her vision began to become blurry. "Finish it! I deserve... a clean death..."

_"You invited me for a date?"_

_"I did. If you consider everything, it all makes sense. The remote hut which is not easy to find if you don't know where it is exactly, the dress and the fact that I have forbidden you to mention anything to anyone. You are the only one who received such a letter." explained Sylvanas, smiling at him._

_"You planned everything just for me? "_

_"Of course I did. We are unofficially dating for half a year, so I finally want to spend some time with you."_

_"Don't we see each other every day?" asked a still-confused Kelrian._

_Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "Yes, we see each other every day but we don't have much time for us. We can't really spend time together when the others are around. Seeing you every day during the training is not enough for me. I want to do so many things with you but I can't do that most of the time. Mainly because I'm very busy but also because we want to keep our relationship secret to prevent that we get unnecessary attention. You know that I have a lot of jealous admires who would do things to you once they are alone with you. This is the best way to protect you."_

_"I don't need your protection, Sylvanas. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."_

_She chuckled. "I know. But is it wrong for me to worry about you?" She put her hands on his cheeks, caressing them carefully as she stared into his blue eyes. He returned the staring, smiling at her. She closed the distance between their faces, pressing her lips on his. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, wrapping his arms around the smaller elf._

Arthas' mischievous smile became wider the longer he watched her.

_Sylvanas put her hands on her mother's left hand. "I understand you. You are afraid of losing us but you don't need to. We have participated in so many battles and survived every single one of them, so we will survive this war as well."_

_"I believe that too but I'm still afraid...," Lireesa said quietly._

_Sylvanas gave her a comforting smile. "You shouldn't let the worry consume you. You need to think positively if you want to live through the time where we are out there and fight for our kingdom and for the Alliance. We will return to you, all three of us."_

_"I know, I know," replied Lireesa. "You are the best ranger I have ever met and Alleria is the second best. I believe that all three of you make it, just do me the favour and watch after your little sister. She is not as experienced as you are so I'm worried about her the most."_

_Sylvanas put her hands on her mother's cheeks, caressing them. She looked at her younger sister, giving her a comforting smile before she looked back at her mother and gave her the same smile. "I will always keep her close and I promise that nothing will happen to her."_

_Lireesa was still worried a bit. "I hope so."_

_Sylvanas didn't respond to her. She just gave her a calming smile. She turned her head to look at her father. "Is there anything you want to say?"_

_"I believe you will lead us to victory Sylvanas and your sisters will support you as best as they can. Many of our people were killed by trolls and orcs, so it's time to hunt these bastards and get rid of them once and for all."_

_Sylvanas smiled at him, then she looked at Lirath. "You will protect our family while we are away, okay?"_

_Her brother nodded. "I will"_

_Sylvanas smiled. "Good, then I don't have to be worried."_

"After all you've put me through, woman, the last thing I'll give you is the peace of death."

_"Your hair smells good," Sylvanas said before she pressed her nose against the back of Verena's head. She closed her eyes and inhaled the lovely scent. It smelled after roses._

_"I used a new shampoo," responded Verena and put her hands over Sylvanas' hands which rested on her belly. Sylvanas was sitting right behind her, her arms were wrapped around her upper body._

_"I like it," the taller woman said and kissed her girlfriend's neck softly, trailing up kisses until she reached her right ear. Verena giggled softly. "That tickles."_

_Sylvanas paused for a moment. "Should I stop?"_

_"Of course not."_

_Sylvanas smiled. "Good." She kissed every inch of her ear and took the tip in her mouth, rolling her tongue around it. It was already stiff, telling Sylvanas that her lover was already aroused._

_"Look who's already excited by my mere presence."_

_Soft laughter escaped Verena's lips. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world. It's impossible to not get horny when seeing and being so close to you."_

_Sylvanas smiled and blushed a little. "You are flattering me."_

_Verena turned her head to look at her lover. "I'm only saying the truth." She stared into her eyes, smiling when Sylvanas did the same. "I love you, Sylvanas."_

_"I love you too, Verena."_

"No!" Sylvanas shouted out enraged. "You can't do this."

"Can't I?" were his last words before everything around Sylvanas became dark.

* * *

She turned up her nose, noticing that the foul scent of the undead was no longer in the air. The cold had disappeared too. It was warm. As warm as the climate in Quel'Thalas before the invasion of Arthas and his undead could feel the grass tingling her feet because she was barefooted. The grass was soft and green. It was the entire opposite of the grass in Quel'Thalas after Arthas had invaded it. Arthas had ruined the beauty of nature in Quel'Thalas with his presence and the presence of his army. The leaves of the trees around him had become wilted even though he hadn't even touched them. He had brought death to the land.

But the place in which Sylvanas found herself was beautiful and reminded her of the Quel'Thalas before the invasion. Before the Second War, during which the orcs and their enslaved dragons had burnt many forests and destroyed the infinite beauty of nature in Quel'Thalas. It was idyllic.

Her ears heard the cheerful twittering of the birds who had their nests in the crowns of the surrounding trees. There was a small stream in the near in which lots of ducks were swimming. She turned her head, checking her surroundings. It seemed that the idyllic landscape would never end. She saw more trees on the horizon.

Her ears twitched as she heard a familiar and beautiful melody. Somebody was playing a lute. She followed the sound of the melody until she came to its origin. There was a bench on which a familiar person was sitting.

It was a man who was much younger than her. He wore green trousers and a brown blouse with long sleeves. He had brown boots, long blond hair which reached to his shoulders and a cape was wrapped around his shoulders. Sylvanas' grey-blue eyes widened as she recognized the man. It was her younger brother Lirath who was playing the lute while his eyes were closed.

She couldn't trust her eyes. She believed that this just an imagination. She needed proof that this was real. She drew a dagger from her belt and cut her wrist a little so that a small amount of blood flowed out. She felt the pain. This was real.

Lirath stopped his song and opened his eyes, a sad look was reflected by his handsome face. "Please, don't spill any of your blood. Too much of your blood has been spilt already," he said. Like his eyes, his voice reflected sadness.

Sylvanas came closer to him and touched his face carefully. Lirath smiled weakly and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. He looked at their hands for a short moment before he lifted his head again.

"Are you real?" Sylvanas asked.

Lirath nodded.

"Where are we?" she asked and checked her surroundings once again. Nothing had changed.

"We are in the Bastion. **"**

"What is the Bastion?"

"One of the many areas of the Shadowlands."

"Shadowlands?" Sylvanas asked irritated.

"This is the afterlife, Sylvanas. The realm every creature goes when it dies."

"So, I'm dead?" she asked, not sounding surprised at all.

Lirath nodded his head slowly. "I didn't expect to meet you here so soon. I thought that thousands of years would happen before you would join me in the Bastion." A sad sigh escaped his lips. "Unfortunately, you came here too soon."

Sylvanas was silent and did nothing except staring at her brother. It was hard for her to assimilate everything her brother had told her. She was dead but she was still able to walk around and do stuff. She was in a realm where the dead come after their demise. She had no idea what she should think about it. She couldn't think clearly. She had so many questions in mind that she wanted to ask her little brother. She had no idea where to start.

But first, she checked her surroundings again. If she was dead and in this strange place, this would mean that Verena had to be there too. But she didn't see her. Nor did she see Nathanos or Zetai. She was alone with Lirath. The only creatures that were in their near were the birds and the ducks.

She looked back at her brother who was regarding her curiously. "Have you seen Verena?"

Lirath shook his head.

"What about Nathanos and Zetai?"

He shook his head again. "I haven't seen them."

"They must be somewhere in this place unless..."

"Unless what?" her brother asked.

Panic started to overwhelm Sylvanas. "Unless he raised them again..."

Lirath exhaled loudly and stood up. "Let's hope not. They deserve peace. We should look for them," he responded and offered him her hand. Sylvanas wanted to take it but her hand slipped through his. Her eyes widened, a confused expression could be seen on her face. She had been able to touch Lirath a few moments ago but now she was no longer able to do that. She was so confused.

"What's going on?"

Lirath's eyes rested on her form, noticing that her legs were starting to dissolve. He shook his head sadly. "It seems that he doesn't allow you to live a peaceful life in the afterworld. I'm sorry that this is happening to you, Sylvanas. I'm sorry for everything that will happen in the future," he said, wiping a tear out of the corners of his right eye.

"Lirath... I...," she said but she was unable to complete her sentence. Everything around her blurred out and became dark very quickly.

Lirath watched Sylvanas' form fade. He was alone again.

* * *

_Can't I?_

_Can't I?_

_Can't I?_

His voice was echoing through her head. She was hearing his cockyquestion over and over again. She wished she could drown out his annoying voice but she was unable to do that. She was unable to ignore the pain that was overwhelming her. But she was not only feeling pain. She also felt anger.

The pain faded eventually but the anger became stronger and stronger. She didn't know why she was angry. She only knew that she was angry and that she needed someone on who she could take her anger out. Someone had to suffer the same way she was suffering.

Sylvanas recognized that she was back on Azeroth. Back in Quel'Thalas where the butcher had slain her. She was standing in the middle of a circle of withered grass and flowers. The radius of that circle was about ten meters long. The grass around the circle was green but the ground was still covered by blood and separated body parts.

Sylvanas' head was hurting, the anger she felt was uncontrollable. She needed to make someone suffer to satisfy her thirst for violence. She turned her head, looking at the nearest person. Arthas Menethil was standing there and regarded his newest creation with a pleased smile on his pale lips.

Sylvanas wanted to attack him so badly. She wanted to make him pay for what he did to her people, to her friends, to Quel'Thalas and to her. She wanted to make him pay for everything but she found out quickly that she was unable to attack him even though she wanted to tear his head off so badly.

She was unable to move towards him no matter how hard she tried. The smile on his lips became wider. "You seem pretty frustrated, Sylvanas," he said cockily. "What is troubling you?"

Sylvanas looked down at her hands, noticing she no longer wore her brown leather gloves. Instead, she wore gloves made out of iron which looked like claws. Her bracers were made out of the same material but coloured in purple instead of blue like the bracers of her Ranger-General uniform.

Her gaze wandered downwards. She was wearing a dark-purple coloured skirt and she had no feet. She was not standing in the circle of dead grass and flowers. She was floating above it. She looked up from her lower body, her gaze landed on the amused death knight.

"What did you do to me?" she asked, her eyes widened as she heard her voice for the first time. It was much higher than usual and echoing a little. Also, it was not pleasant to hear **.** She couldn't believe that this was her voice. It had changed so much but it was not the only thing had changed. Her skin colour had turned dark blue and she felt weird. She was still angry and wanted to hurt someone so badly. She couldn't recognize herself anymore. She barely remembered how she had been before Arthas had rammed his sword through her abdomen but she was sure she had not been like this.

Her eyes rested on Arthas who was still standing on the same spot and regarded her curiously. "I turned you into a banshee."

"A banshee?" she asked irritated. Her voice reflected confusion.

Arthas didn't respond to her question. "From now on you will serve me and do everything I ask of you."

Sylvanas' face reflected anger. "I would never..." but she couldn't finish her sentence as her head started to hurt very badly. The pain was so intense that she thought her head would explode the next moment. She even wished it would so that she wouldn't have to serve him. Unfortunately for her, her head didn't explode. The pain faded but the anger started to consume her again.

The anger overwhelmed her. She wanted to make someone suffer. She wanted to kill someone to feel better. Someone had to pay for what Arthas did to her. Someone had to die. The thirst for blood was too strong. She couldn't fight against it. She wanted to kill someone so badly. She wanted it more than anything else.

She looked at Arthas again, noticing the tip of his sword was pointing at someone. It pointed at her sister Alleria who had gotten up in the meantime but was still unable to avert her gaze from the creature that had once been her beloved sister. Her eyes were red from crying, her skin was pretty pale and her hands were shaking. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was terrified and still unable to move. She was easy prey. Killing her would be an easy task for the banshee.

"Prove your loyalty to your new master, banshee. And kill that elven whore over there," commanded the death knight.

"As you wish, master," responded Sylvanas. She didn't hesitate to float over the river. She approached her terrified sister, intending to dig her claws into her flesh but the Ranger-Captain broke out of her state of shock at the last moment and jumped to the side, avoiding her attack.

Alleria was too shocked to say anything. She wanted to tell the banshee to stop and fight against the death knight's control but no words escaped her lips. She was still too shocked and she couldn't believe that the creature who had once been her sister was trying to kill her.

She could see the pure anger and hatred in Sylvanas' eyes. Alleria knew that Sylvanas wouldn't stop until she would be dead. Sylvanas was gone and all that was left of her was this undead woman who was trying to kill her. She realized that there was no way she could convince that creature to stop. She had seen how Sylvanas' friends had attacked her. They hadn't been themselves after Arthas had raised them, so she believed the same counted for Sylvanas. She was no longer Sylvanas, but a servant of that butcher.

A tear ran down Alleria's cheek but she didn't care at the moment. She had other things to worry about. She had to get away from the banshee and make it out alive. She had to get to safety and report what had happened. She had to go to Dalaran, inform the prince and then tell Vereesa what had happened.

Another tear ran down her cheeks when she imagined Vereesa hearing the news. She will be devasted. Vereesa had always looked up to Sylvanas the most. Hearing about her death will crush her. But she must hear about it. She had every right to know the truth.

Alleria avoided Sylvanas' next attack and the next. The banshee got impatient her fearsome red eyes glowed sinisterly and rested on Alleria. The creature had Sylvanas' face but there was nothing left of Sylvanas. She had always been her role model.

The banshee may look like a twisted version of Sylvanas but her sister was gone. Alleria had to accept that but she didn't have the time for that now. She could think later about everything. For now, all she had to do was getting out alive by every means.

Sylvanas got impatient. She wanted to murder her sister so badly. She wanted to make her suffer. She wanted that Alleria would become a banshee like her. She wanted to be united with her sister in death. She didn't want to go through this suffering alone. She parted her lips, opened her mouth and let a loud scream escape her lips.

Alleria flinched and pressed her hands on her ears. The scream had really hurt her sensitive ears. She was deaf for a few moments but her hearing returned slowly. Her head hurt pretty bad, but she was able to bear the pain.

A cry escaped her lips as sharp claws dug into her forearm. Sylvanas had grabbed her and was pulling her towards her. She wanted to kill her. She wanted nothing more than that. She wanted to kill her beloved sister. She wanted to kill the person she had always looked up to.

Deep inside her, she didn't want any of this. She didn't want to kill her sister. But Arthas' control was too strong. She acted as he wanted her to act and thought as he wanted her to think. She was his servant. His puppet. His proudest creation. And she wanted nothing more than making her creator proud.

Sylvanas extended her other arm, trying to touch Alleria's face but the brave woman turned away. Sylvanas snarled and tried to pull her closer, digging her fingers deeper in Alleria's forearm. The Ranger-Captain saw no other option than resisting. She pulled a dagger from her belt and rammed it in the arm that was holding her. A loud, pained and deafening scream escaped the banshee's lips. She let go of the ranger who didn't hesitate to run away.

Alleria ran as fast as her tired legs allowed her. She turned her head and looked back from time to time to check if Sylvanas, or what was left of her, was following her.

She was not.

It seemed as if she was lost in thoughts. She was thinking about some of the best moments she had shared with Alleria. Many memories of her youth, the first hunt they had done together, their first sleepover and many other good memories. But the memories faded eventually and the thirst for killing someone started to overwhelm her again. A frustrated scream escaped her lips as she realized that Alleria was no longer in her sight.

She turned around and looked at Arthas whose face showed a neutral expression. "Don't worry about her. We will catch her sooner or later and then you can kill her. You will be united with her in death. You will have your sister by your side soon enough."

Sylvanas nodded. "What will we do now, master?"

"You and your _friends_ will help me conquering Silvermoon City," he said and pointed at the eight bodies he had just raised. Verena, Zetai, Nathanos, Velonara and the other four rangers were standing in their near. The males didn't change at all but the females did. Arthas turned them into banshees. They were wearing long dresses, their hair were long and floating.

Sylvanas' gaze landed on her dead body on which her own dried blood and the dried blood of the creatures she slew in the past days stuck. The sight was horrible. A tear ran down her cheeks before she was able to take her eyes off her slain body. The tear turned to dust before it reached her chin.

Arthas just chuckled and ordered his servants to take her body and throw it on one of the many meat waggons. He raised his sword into the air and pointed to the north. "Follow me, my undead servants. Let's show these elves what will happen when someone rejects my offer and provokes me instead of surrendering to me."

He looked at Sylvanas, his mischievous grin was very wide. "You could have prevented what is going to happen now if you would have surrendered. Now your people have to suffer because you didn't want to accept the truth. You had already lost before the invasion had begun. You can't stop the inevitable. Nobody can. I will bring death to this world and it will claim them all."

He walked back to his horse, mounted and spurred it. He rushed past the undead creatures until he had passed the front line. He was leading the army to the north. Every creature was following him. Even Sylvanas who had no other choice than to obey his orders.


	10. Emotional Explanation

Kelrian stopped in front of the house, sighing out in relief as he noticed that everything seemed to be normal. There were no undead creatures around, no screams could be heard and the surroundings were not devastated. Everything was alright. Nevertheless, he had to hurry. The sooner he would have brought Sylvanas' relatives to safety, the earlier he could get to Suncrown Village to evacuate his relatives.

Kelrian took deep breaths and waited until he felt less exhausted before he walked over to the entrance and opened it with his key. He came into the entrance hall but he didn't take off his shoes. He rushed through the bordering corridor and came into the living room where his children and Lyndia were sitting.

He got immediately reminded of Sylvanas when he saw his children because they looked so similar to her. He stopped for a moment as grief started to overwhelm him. He closed his eyes and banished these thoughts out of his mind. It was not easy but he still managed to order his thoughts and keep a cool head. He had not the time to grief yet. He had to bring his family to safety and then he could think about Sylvanas. Also, he didn't know if she was dead. It was very likely but there was still a small chance that she had made it out alive. He had to hope for the best.

He walked over to the teenagers who were regarding him in surprise. They hadn't expected him to return so soon, especially not alone. They had expected that he would return with his wife by his side. Their eyes widened as they saw the dried blood that stuck on his uniform and skin. They got up and rushed over to him, worry and fear were reflected by their eyes.

"Father...Are you okay?" asked Raesh.

"What happened, father?" asked Sylvera.

"Where is aunt Sylvanas? Is she with you?" asked Lyndia.

Kelrian signalized the teenagers to calm down and allow him to speak. "We don't have time for questions now. I will answer your questions later, but for now, you have to pack your things together and make yourself ready for departure."

Confusion was reflected by their faces. "Why should we pack our things? Where are we going? And why?" Sylvera asked.

"We are going to Quel'Danas. I will make a portal so we can get there quickly."

"What is going on, father?" asked Raesh. "Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

Kelrian took a deep breath. "The undead are coming and I have no idea how long they will need to arrive at our house. You have to trust me and do as I say. Only take the most necessary things with you and go to the backyard as soon as you can."

"But..."

"No buts. Do as I say," Kelrian responded much louder than he had intended to. He was sorry that he had become so loud. He hadn't intended to do that. He had wanted to remain calm but that was not easy at all because he was stressed. Sylvanas was probably dead already and imagining that pained felt his heart aching whenever he thought about her very likely fate.

He was frustrated and emotionally hurt. It was hard for him to think clearly. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen. He had seen his comrades dying, had even seen how the undead creatures had torn some of them apart. He had seen how Arthas had raised the fallen high elves and turned them against their people. He had seen so many horrible things he couldn't handle.

The teenagers were shocked about Kelrian's outburst but they didn't dare to contradict him again, fearing that he would become much louder. They had never seen him behaving like this. They had never seen him becoming angry or loud. They assumed that something really bad had happened that was responsible for his distressed condition. They knew the best was to obey him, so they nodded to him and rushed to their rooms.

Kelrian stared at the opposite wall for a few moments before he left the room and followed the bordering corridor. He met Lireesa in the middle. She was wearing a blue dress and was holding a book in her hand. She stopped in front of him, her widened eyes regarded him from head to toe. She assumed that something must have happened, otherwise, he wouldn't be there and look like this. She feared the worst.

"What happened?"

"The undead broke through the first gate and they will break through the second. Maybe they have already passed it and are on their way to us. We need to leave this place and take shelter on Quel'Danas."

Lireesa's eyes reflected shock. "They broke through the gates?" she asked doubtingly. "That's impossible. No one ever managed to do that. Ban'dinoriel protects the inner gate for thousands of years. There is no way an army, no matter how large it is, could pass it."

"We have been betrayed. Dar'Khan Drathir handed Arthas the mooncrystals and allowed him to open the gate. The undead are coming for us. It's only a matter of time until they arrive. We need to leave and go to Quel'Danas and hope the undead don't find a way to cross the sea."

Kelrian noticed that Lireesa had troubles assimilating what he had just told her. He couldn't hold that against her. What he said wouldn't make sense for outsiders who hadn't seen what he had seen. He wouldn't believe it either if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He would have never believed that the first elfgate would fall. It had never fallen since the foundation of Quel'Thalas. The gate had denied entry for intruders for thousands of years. Nevertheless, it had fallen within a few hours. It was unbelievable for an outsider but Lireesa had to believe him.

And she was believing him. The longer she stared into his determined face, the more she got convinced that he was speaking the truth. "Is Sylvanas with you? And Alleria? Are they here? Please don't tell me they stayed."

Kelrian was silent for a few moments, then he shook his head and began to speak. Sadness was reflected by his quiet voice. "Sylvanas and Alleria are buying us as much time as possible. I'm sorry to tell you that they may not come back."

Lireesa's eyes were widened, tears formed in the corners. She covered her wide-open mouth with her hands but she was unable to hide her shocked expression. "No... Please don't tell me that this is true. How can they stay? Why didn't they come back with you?"

A sad sigh escaped Kelrian's lips, he wiped the tears out of the corners of his eyes and approached his mother-in-law, pulling her in a comforting hug. "They are not dead for sure. There is still a chance that they may return alive."

"But..."

Kelrian interrupted her. "We don't have time to talk now. We have to leave this place as soon as possible. I will explain everything once we arrive on Quel'Danas. Please do me a favour and inform everyone else. Tell Zendarin to create a portal to Quel'Danas. You have to make sure that everyone who is living and working here goes through the portal. Can you do that for me?"

Lireesa nodded. "What will you do in the meantime?"

"I will take your horse and ride to Windrunner Village and evacuate it. Then I will go to Suncrown Village and organise the evacuation. You could send out ravens to inform the nearest villages. They need to be evacuated as well."

Lireesa nodded again, sadness was still reflected in her eyes. "Let's hope for the best. I don't want to lose any of my daughters. I already lost Lirath... I can't lose another child..."

Kelrian put his hands on her cheeks, staring into her eyes as he caressed them. "I don't want to lose them either. But their fate is not in our hands. We can only hope for the best. It pains me to imagine losing Sylvanas or Alleria. But there is nothing we can do for them at the moment. All we can do is to go to Quel'Danas and pray to the Sunwell. We should pray for their safety."

"I will go to the Sunwell and pray in front of it once we reach the island."

"Do that, Lireesa. But for now, you have to bring our family to Quel'Danas. Can you do that for me?"

Lireesa nodded. "I will. You can count on me."

Kelrian gave her a small smile and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you. I will see you on Quel'Danas."

"Be careful," replied his mother-in-law.

"I will," Kelrian responded and hurried away.

* * *

Kelrian entered the room and walked over to the table where his children were sitting. He sat down on a chair next to them and regarded them without saying anything. They looked worried. They had no idea what was going on. They had no idea that their mother was dead. Not even Kelrian knew that. He only knew that the chance that Sylvanas wouldn't return alive was high. He had no idea that Sylvanas had been raised and was forced to serve her murderer. She was technically not alive but not dead either. She was undead. She was forced to remain in the mortal world and serve Arthas Menethil for all eternity.

Kelrian didn't know about her sad fate, so he could only tell his children that their mother may not come back. He wished he wouldn't have to tell them that but he had no other choice. They deserved to know the truth, so he had decided to tell them everything. He had no idea how he should approach that difficult topic. He had no idea how he should tell his children that their mother was most likely dead. He hadn't accepted yet that she may be dead, so he had no idea how he should break it gently to them.

Thinking of Sylvanas made him sad. Very sad. He was not a sensitive person, nevertheless, he got very emotional whenever he thought about his wife who may not return to him and their children. He tried to hide how he was feeling as best as possible. He hadn't cried yet but it was clearly visible in his eyes that he was grieving.

His children were looking at him, frowning as they stared into his eyes. "What's wrong, dad?" Sylvera asked carefully. "You told us to pack our things and go to Quel'Danas. We did as you said but now we want to know why we had to go. What do you know? What is going on?"

Kelrian was silent at first and looked at his fingers but then he lifted his head and looked at the twins. He saw nothing but worry in their eyes. Kelrian exhaled loudly and put his hands in front of him, intertwining his fingers. "The newest rumours turned out to be true. Arthas Menethil led a gigantic army of undead to our borders and managed to pass the first gate."

The eyes of both teenagers widened. "He did what?" asked Raesh, hoping he had misheard. His eyes become even wider when Kelrian repeated it again,assuring that it was true.

"How could he do that? I thought the elfgates are impassable. You told me that no enemy ever managed to pass them since they had been built." Sylvera sounded shocked. She couldn't believe what her father had told her and her brother. She had read a lot about the history of the high elves, so she knew a lot about the elfgates and the ancient barrier Ban'dinoriel. She didn't want to believe it but the serious expression on her father's face made her realize that what he had said was true. The first elfgate had fallen.

"His army was a lot larger than we have expected. Well, a lot is an understatement. I have never seen such a huge army before. Not even the Horde had that many soldiers during the Second War. Orcs and trolls are vulnerable. We can kill them by shooting them in the head or we can slow them down by shooting them in the knees or feet. We could hurt them and weaken them but we couldn't do that with the undead. We could cut off limbs but that didn't stop them. They still would continue fighting no matter how often we hit them. They feel no pain and losing limbs didn't bother them. They even kept moving without legs. They are mindless and just follow their master's commands, not caring if they would be killed in the process." Kelrian made a small pause in which he considered what he should say next.

"The undead army overran the gate. Most of our soldiers that died were brought back to life by Arthas. He let our fallen men fight against us. We had to fight our former comrades who had once wanted to defend the gates with us. They had tried to kill us and all we could do was to give up the gate and flee. We ran away and retreated to the second gate where we met up with reinforcements," he told.

"Mother wants to defend the second gate, doesn't she?" Raesh asked. His voice was quiet and sounded weak. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. He had a presumption of what his father was would say next, so he was hoping that his father wouldn't say what he thought he would say. He could only hope that his father's answer wouldn't confirm his presumption.

A sad sigh escaped the ranger's lips. He wished he could say that everything would be alright. He wished he wouldn't have to tell his children that their mother may die or be already dead. He wished he could tell them good news but he would lie if he would do that.

He knew he had to tell them before they would find it out through other ways. He was their father, so he had to be the one who should tell them the bad news. There was no way of avoiding this conversation, no matter how hard he was wishing it.

"Your mother and your aunt decided to stay and defend the second gate as long as possible. I don't know how to explain this to you, so I will just say what I know. We have been betrayed. Arthas has the keys to deactivate the barrier, which means that the second gate is unprotected. Your mother only has little more than two thousand men to defend the gate until reinforcements arrive. Arthas' army is too big, so I doubt our soldiers will hold out long enough. Sadly, I have to tell you that the chance is pretty high that... your mother..." Kelrian stopped suddenly, buried his hands in his palms and started to sob quietly. His emotions had overwhelmed him. Everything was too much for him.

Seeing their father like that was enough for the twins to know what he had wanted to tell them. Their mother was most likely dead. They were shocked by the bad news. Their mother had told them often enough that the possibility that she wouldn't return from a battle one day existed. She had prepared them for the case that she or Kelrian would die and she had told them what they should do if that would be the case.

They had known that they could lose their parents when they travelled to the south to find out if the rumours about the fallen prince were true. They had known from the beginning that there was a chance that they wouldn't return from that mission. Nevertheless, the twins were shocked and speechless. Sadness was reflected in their eyes. They didn't cry nor did they sob but they were grieving even though they didn't know if their mother was already dead or still alive.

The twins had a bad feeling about everything and they were expecting the worst outcome. They were hoping that their mother would return to them. They didn't want to lose her. They loved her. They loved their parents more than anyone else, so imagining losing one of them pained them deeply. They didn't want to imagine a life without their mother at their sides. They didn't want her to be gone. They wanted to have her for all eternity.

Sylvera got up from her chair and squatted down next to her father, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Kelrian was leaning forward, his back was bent and he still buried his face in his palms. Tears were running down his cheeks. They dripped from his chin onto his trousers and the carpet. Raesh appeared on the other side and put his hand on his father's shoulder, signalizing him that he was there for him. The twins took turns and spoke to their father quietly, comforting him as best as they could. Kelrian stopped sobbing and crying eventually and removed his hands.

His eyes were wet from crying, grief was reflected by his face. He had never expected that he would break out in tears. He had always managed to keep himself under control but then he had looked at Sylvanas' ring on his wedding finger and the memories of the past days had come back in his mind.

The latest nightmare had really plagued him and gave him a hard time. He had dreamed of Arthas killing Sylvanas. He had dreamed of Arthas raising Sylvanas and turning her into a mindless undead creature. He had dreamed that Sylvanas would come to them, kill him and then their children and the other members of their families. It had been horrible. It had been the worst nightmare he had ever witnessed.

Kelrian was at his limit. He had thought he couldn't take it anymore but the presence of his children comforted him. They looked shocked, they were grieving like him but they were there for him. They comforted him and made him feel a little better. Kelrian had expected that it would be the other way around. He had expected that they would break out in tears and he would comfort them.

He had never expected that he wouldn't be able to control his emotions. Nobody would hold that against him. He had seen his comrades and many of his friends die in front of his eyes. He had fought against the undead army that showed no mercy and killed everyone that came in their way. He had had horrible dreams. He was an emotional wreck but at least he had his children who would do anything to make him feel better.

Sylvanas may be gone but he still had them and it was his task to protect them. He may have lost Sylvanas but he didn't lose the rest of his family. He had to make sure he won't lose Raesh and Sylvera. He had promised Sylvanas to bring them to safety. He had to protect their family. He had to protect them by any means but first,he had to calm down.

"I'm sorry," whispered the ranger. "I didn't want to cry in front of you but... the events of the past days have really affected me. I didn't expect that I would get so emotional. I'm sorry. I am a bad role model. I should be strong for you and give you hope but instead, I cried like a little child. I'm a bad father."

Raesh shook his head and patted his father's shoulder. "Don't say that, dad. You are a great father. It's normal to have feelings and it's okay to show them. You care about the ones who are important to you. You care about mother and you want nothing more than her returning alive in one piece. We want the same and we won't judge you for shedding a few tears. Getting emotional is just normal. You don't have to worry about us. We are shocked but I think we can handle everything. We just need some time to assimilate everything."

"There is still hope that mother survives and returns to us. The chance may be small but I will never give up. Hope always dies last and I won't stop hoping that she will return to us," replied Sylvera.

Kelrian took a deep breath, wiped the dried tears away and cleared his throat after he regained his composure. "You are right. We shouldn't grief as long as we are not one hundred percent sure that she is dead. She wouldn't like to see us grieving. She wants us to stay strong and hope for the best. She wants us to survive. The undead may come to Silvermoon. They may conquer the capital city but they will never reach Quel'Danas. Our mages prevent that Arthas' mages can create portals to Quel'Danas. We are safe on this island. We will wait until Arthas Menethil and his undead army will leave our lands, then we will return to the capital city and see what we can do. You don't have to worry, little ones. Everything will be fine."

Raesh and Sylvera nodded but didn't respond to him. They just stared at their father, smiling as they noticed that he was feeling much better than before. Kelrian got up and walked to the fridge, opened it and regarded what was inside. "We should make dinner. Camillia and Lyndia should return soon, so it would be nice if you help me with the preparation."

Raesh and Sylvera nodded. "We will, father," they said in unison.

* * *

"I thought you would never show up," the night elf said impatiently and looked at the demon who had just entered the room.

"The preparation took more time than I expected. I'm sorry for arriving so late, Lady Felspeaker," the demon responded and bowed to her, showing her respect.

Alyssa crossed one leg over the other, taking a sip from the wine glass she was holding in her hand. She made a gesture, signalizing that she was forgiving him. "As long as you did what I requested, you're forgiven."

"I completed the task successfully," responded the demon.

Alyssa smirked. "Good. I hope everything will go according to plan this time."

The demon tilted his head a little, giving his mistress a curious look. "I thought everything was already going well. You ordered Mal'Ganis to weaken the kingdoms of the Alliance so that we may once again invade Azeroth. Lordaeron already fell and Quel'Thalas will fall soon. That's all Mal'Ganis had to achieve, right?"

Alyssa emptied her glass and put it aside. "Well, not exactly. Arthas Menethil is doing what I want him to do. It was Mal'Ganis' idea to corrupt the human prince and it's working but that doesn't mean that everything went right. Mal'Ganis was not supposed to die. I had more tasks for him but he got killed by Arthas. He will need some time until he is powerful enough to return from the Twisting Nether. Until his return, I need you to do what he was supposed to do."

"You want me to watch over Arthas Menethil and the Scourge?"

The night elf shook her head. "No. I ordered Tichondrius to do that."

The demon's curiosity grew. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tichondrius will make sure that this human prince will still work for us after he has left Quel'Thalas in ruins. He will serve us well but he won't be the only mortal who will work for us."

"You want me to corrupt another mortal, right?"

"You got that right, Exadius."

"Who shall I corrupt? Who shall join our crusade?" Exadius asked.

Alyssa sniped with her fingers, letting a file appear on her lap. She handed it to the tall demon who flicked through it quickly. He raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell back on his mistress. "An elf?"

Alyssa chuckled and put a strand of dark green hair behind her long ear. "He has a lot of potential. Just make sure he joins us, then I will give you another task."

Exadius nodded. "As you wish, Lady Felspeaker."

"You can go now, Exadius. I hope you won't fail me. Not like Mal'Ganis who had gotten himself killed by that human."

"Don't worry, I'm not weak. I'm much older and stronger than Mal'Ganis. I won't be killed by stupid and weak mortals. Not like that fool Mal'Ganis."

"I hope that for you. You know what will happen if you disappoint me," responded the night elf and made a gesture, signalizing the taller demon that he was dismissed. Exadius lowered his head in respect and walked over to the exit, leaving the room.


	11. The Fall Of Silvermoon - Part One

"They are coming."

Kelrian turned his head and looked at his cousin. High Priestess Liadrin was standing next to him on the walls of Silvermoon City and stared at the horizon. She wore a purple and yellow robe. Her auburn hair was made up in a ponytail, her blue eyes rested on the undead army that was coming closer.

"There is nothing that can stop them. The mages tried to reactivate Ban'dinoriel but it turned out to be impossible without the three mooncrystals. We are unprotected," replied Kelrian.

A sad sigh escaped Liadrin's lips. "I still can't believe that Dar'Khan Drathir betrayed us. Not only did he hand Arthas the three mooncrystals, but he also killed many members of the Council."

"It's not the first time that we have been betrayed by someone from our own ranks. Why does this keep happening to us? First Xenarion and now Dar'Khan Drathir. How can someone work for this monster? Many people will die because of this traitorous bastard."

Liadrin closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and opened them again. "Dar'Khan Drathir is a power-hungry bastard. It wouldn't surprise me if Arthas offered him power and a high rank in his army. I can't believe that Arthas only needed to make promises to convince Dar'Khan to betray us."

"I don't know what I can believe these days. I never thought that Arthas and his undead army would break through our gates. I would have never thought that any army would reach Silvermoon. It's only a matter of time until the gate falls. The gate and the walls won't hold out long without a protecting barrier." Kelrian's voice was quiet and reflected perfectly how he was feeling at the moment. He was confused, shocked and sad. He didn't want all of this to happen but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He couldn't stop the undead army from coming closer. He couldn't stop the inevitable.

He was grieving. He had no proof that Sylvanas was dead but he had the strong assumption that she was. He could only hope that she was still alive but the chances were pretty low. Nevertheless, he didn't lose hope. It was possible that Sylvanas had escaped the butcher and was somewhere out there healthy and alive.

"All we can do is to fight," said Liadrin. "Not all citizens have been evacuated to Quel'Danas yet. The mages are overtaxed. They can't keep so many portals open at the same time. The portals are not very large, so only two persons can step through each of them at the same time. They need more time."

"We also have to hope that Arthas finds no way to cross the sea. We still have no idea what he wants. Some people think he wants to reach the Sunwell but I'm asking myself why would he want to go there. Does he want to use the energies of the Sunwell for something? Or does he want to destroy it to take this essential source of power from us? I also wonder what his goal is. Does he want to conquer Azeroth and turn all living creatures into undead creatures? But why would he want to do that and where did he get this sword?"

Liadrin exhaled loudly, looking at him. "If only I would know that." She put a hand on his shoulder and stared into his eyes. "We can only hope for the best outcome. Make sure you survive. Your children need you, especially after they found out that their mother may be dead."

Kelrian nodded sadly. "Before everything went down the tube, Sylvanas and I decided to have another child. We couldn't know that these horrible events would happen."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Sylvanas. I really am. She was a good person and she always tried to save everyone else before she saved herself. Everyone looked up to her and everyone loved her. She wanted nothing more than protecting the ones she loved. She had sworn to protect our people by every means, so she stayed to defend the second gate as long as possible."

"Sylvanas didn't shrink back from sacrificing her life for the greater good. She sacrificed her life for our people and it's our duty to protect the survivors. She gave her life for nothing if we don't succeed in evacuating the remaining civilians," responded Kelrian. "We owe her that."

Liadrin nodded. "But still remember, save yourself if you can. Sylvanas didn't want you to die, that's why she sent you back. You have to survive. For your children. For our family. For her."

Kelrian stared at the horizon. "I will give my best. I can't promise anything but I will try to survive." He turned his head and looked at his cousin who regarded him worriedly. "Promise me to take care of my children for the case I don't make it. Also, be there for Lyndia, Camillia and my siblings. And for my mother and Varo. Basically, look after everyone who is important to me. To us."

Liadrin took his hand and squeezed it. "I will."

* * *

"Get in position and wait for new orders," shouted Lireesa. Her voice was loud, strict and determined. She walked along the top of the walls, checking if every archer obeyed her command. She had never expected that she would ever give orders during a battle again. She had retired decades ago because of her disease and given the mantle of the Ranger-General to her middle daughter.

But now that two of her precious daughters were assumed to be dead and the king and prince were not able to command the remaining soldiers, the remaining defenders were lacking an experienced leader. Lireesa had been a ranger for over two hundred years, she had collected many experiences in battles. There was no one else left who was as experienced as her, so the queen had asked her to organise the defence and Lireesa had accepted.

She was not Sylvanas, she knew that and she could see it in the eyes of her people. She wasn't as good in calming down people and giving them hope as her middle daughter. Her men were concerned about the inevitable. They would feel less worried and much safer if Sylvanas would be around. But Sylvanas was not here. At least, Lireesa was able to comfort them a bit with her presence.

She may not have joined a battle for decades but she had not forgotten what she had learned in the past. She had been Ranger-General for over one hundred years and had gained a lot of experience during that time. She knew exactly how to calm down her people, make them focus on the important things and fight courageously.

Lireesa wore her old uniform which had been stored in a glass cabinet since she had stepped down as Ranger-General. The uniform had been adjusted by a tailor because Lireesa had been more muscular back then than these days. The sewed in chain vest had been replaced by a new one and a mage had carved in runes and cast enchantments on the uniform to strengthen it. Her uniform was blue and looked similar to Sylvanas' Ranger-General uniform.

Apart from the fact that she was not as muscular as she once had been, the only difference between her and her former self was that her current self was affected by a disease that slowed her down and didn't allow her to join long-lasting battles **.** She was not as fast as she once had been and she got exhausted much faster. But she was still able to pose a threat. Also, an alchemist had brewed her a potion that made her much stronger for a few hours. That way she could be as strong as she had once been and kill more of these undead creatures.

She had gifted Alleria her bow when she had stepped down, so she had received a new one from a friend who was one of the most talented bowyers in Quel'Thalas. There were not many decorating elements attached to it but she didn't care about that. She just needed a good bow she could use to kill as many of these undead creatures as possible. She was happy with the one she had. She had already tested it multiple times and had gotten used to it.

Lireesa walked over to her sons-in-law. Kelrian and Turalyon were standing next to each other and regarding the approaching army. Kelrian's bow and quiver leaned against the battlements, his spellblade and several mana potions laid on a small table next to him.

Turalyon wore his golden paladin armour and his two-handed runeblade rested on his back. The sword had once belonged to his mentor Anduin Lothar, the legendary warrior and hero of the Alliance who fell fifteen years ago in the final battle of the Second War. Turalyon had not been in Lordaeron when Arthas doomed it. He was one of the few survivors who didn't follow Jaina Proudmoore to the unknown continent Kalimdor.

He had arrived in Silvermoon a day ago but he didn't come with many reinforcements. Not many soldiers of his unit had survived. Two dozen soldiers had come to Silvermoon with him. They weren't enough to make a difference but Lireesa was happy about every single capable fighter.

Lireesa stepped to them and hugged them. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Lireesa," the paladin said in return.

Lireesa gave them a small smile.

"Do you receive any news from Stormwind?" he asked curiously.

Lireesa shook her head. "Unfortunately, not. We haven't heard anything from Sylvanas or Alleria either. The chances are pretty high that they...," Lireesa stopped speaking, grief was reflected by her eyes as she averted her gaze and looked at her feet. She lifted her head eventually and looked back at Turalyon and Kelrian who weren't happy either. Sadness was reflected by their eyes but she didn't miss the small amount of hope in them. They hadn't given up yet. They hadn't lost hope. They were still hoping that their wives would return alive.

"We can only hope for the best," muttered Kelrian.

"We can hope for a miracle, otherwise, we won't be able to defend the city."

"I doubt we can defend it," said Turalyon. "But we can buy as much time as possible so that the remaining refugees can escape to Quel'Danas."

"That's our duty. Just do me a favour and go to Quel'Danas when the remaining citizens have been evacuated. Go to Quel'Danas before they close the portals," said Lireesa. A serious expression was reflected by her face.

Kelrian nodded. "We will try but you have to try the same."

"I will see what I can do," Lireesa responded and turned around, looking at the undead army that wasn't far away from the city.

"The attack is starting soon," Turalyon said.

"They will bombard the gate with their siege engines and these big things will try to push the double doors open," replied Kelrian.

Lireesa looked to the right where the gate was. "Let's hope the hot oil will be enough to stop these big things. The fire will be our most important ally."

"And the light," added Turalyon.

"And the light," repeated the new Ranger-General.

* * *

"KEEP FIRING! STOP THESE CREATURES FROM BREAKING THROUGH THE GATE!" shouted Lireesa and shot another fiery arrow down at the creatures that were gathered in front of the gate. There were dozens of these three-armed creatures that tried to push the double doors open. They seemed to be pretty powerful and only the enchantments hindered them from breaking through it. Lireesa knew that the gate wouldn't hold out for long. The siege engines had damaged it and continued flinging stones at it. Sometimes, they even hit one of these abominations or other undead creatures but most of the time they hit the large double doors.

It was only a matter of time until the undead would break through the gate and enter the city. Lireesa had no clue how many citizens had already been evacuated nor did she know how much time they would need. She only knew that she had to buy them as much time as possible.

Her rangers were firing at the creatures in front of the gate but also at every siege engine that was in their range. They had destroyed a few of them but Arthas still had too many. They couldn't stop the siege engines from firing at the gate that was getting more and more damaged with each stone that hit it.

Kelrian was not far away from Lireesa and cast fire spells at the creatures on the ground. Fireballs, flame pillars and flame walls burned many of the undead creatures but there were still enough of them. Ghouls, skeletons, the spider-like things, raised elves and the big things were standing in front of the gate while the gargoyles were flying through the air and fought against dragonhawks or picked up rangers from the top of the walls.

Some mages tried to kill these gargoyles while most mages tried to prevent that the undead would climb up the walls. The Silvermoon Guards and the paladins on the walls gave their best to eliminate those who had managed to reach the top before they could harm anyone. Most of the undead died before they were able to do that but the undead had still managed to kill dozens of defenders.

Lireesa looked at the husband of her middle daughter, noticing that he looked exhausted. Three of his five mana potions were already empty. He gave his best to burn as many undead as possible. He did a great job but they were still too many out there. To the defenders, it seemed that the army of the undead had endless servants. It didn't seem to matter how many they killed and burned. Each fallen creature was replaced by another. The necromancers and Arthas Menethil raised those bodies that hadn't been consumed by the flames.

The fallen defenders were brought back and turned against their former comrades. It was not easy for the soldiers to fight those who had fought by their sides for years. They had to face freshly raised strangers, comrades, friends and even family members. Nevertheless, most of them didn't hesitate to take down the raised elves and burned their bodies if possible. They kept fighting and fighting, becoming more and more exhausted over time but that didn't stop them. Each of them would fight until they would collapse. They would fight until their last breaths to buy the civilians as much time as possible.

Most defenders had already accepted their fate, so it was easier for them to give everything they got. Mages used the last remains of their mana to cast more spells to deal with the undead. Farstriders spent their last arrows before they drew their swords and went into melee combat.

More and more ghouls climbed up the walls. Gargoyles clashed with dragonhawks and their riders or picked up defenders from the walls and dropped them elsewhere. Arthas and his necromancers continued to raise those creatures who weren't burned, making up for their losses.

Hours passed in which more and more defenders died. Most of them became undead because not enough mages were left to burn the corpses of their fallen comrades. The defenders were busy with the creatures on the walls, so they didn't have the time to ignite the bodies of their fallen comrades, friends and family members. More and more fallen rangers were raised and turned against their former allies.

The gate fell eventually. A horde of abominations had managed to push the heavily damaged double doors open, allowing the undead army to enter Silvermoon City. They rushed through the streets of Silvermoon, which were empty because the citizens had been brought to Sunstrider Spire before the begin of the siege. The portals to Quel'Danas had been created in the cellar.

Lireesa knew that the inhabitants had barricaded themselves in Sunstrider Spire but it was only a matter of time until the undead will enter the spire. There was no point in defending the gate any longer but the defenders could still try to buy as much time as possible. They had to go to Sunstrider Spire and prevent the undead from entering it. They had to keep them busy as long as possible.

Lireesa chopped off the head of a ghoul and ran over to Kelrian who was also fighting the undead in close combat. He did pretty well with his sword and his spellblade, killing lots of these disgusting creatures within a short amount of time. He was hurt, a ghoul had bitten him in the left shoulder but that didn't stop him from fighting and moving fast enough so that the undead creatures didn't manage to touch or harm him. Not far away from him was Turalyon who was using the light to decimate the undead that approached him. The corpses of several of his friends and comrades laid in his near.

The undead were taking control over the walls, they even climbed them down and entered the city. The walls were lost like the gate. Lireesa saw no other option than guiding the survivors to Sunstrider Spire. "We have to fall back," she shouted to Kelrian and Turalyon. "We have to go to Sunstrider Spire and fight the undead there. They will get in the spire sooner or later but we have to hold them off as long as possible. We have to buy the civilians as much time as possible."

Kelrian and Turalyon nodded to her and rushed over to her, killing each undead creature that got in their way. There were four other persons who followed Lireesa. A Farstrider, one of Turalyon's paladin friends, a warrior and Liadrin, who squashed the heads of undead creatures with a heavy mace, were ready to follow the Ranger-General.

The shock was written all over their faces. None of them could believe what was happening. None of them would have ever thought that any army could break through the main gate of their beloved capital city. They had believed to the last moment that the main gate would withstand. Their world had been turned upside down when the gate fell and the undead entered their beautiful city.

They knew the undead would only leave death and devastation behind. They didn't expect that they would survive this battle. All they were hoping for was that they could buy enough time for the civilians. They were hoping that as many people as possible could escape to Quel'Danas. They were convinced that they were safe on the island.

"We have to go through the side streets if we want to reach the spire. The main streets are overrun by the undead. We won't get there alive if we walk through the main streets," Lireesa said.

The group fought their way through the approaching ghouls, skeletons and raised elves and entered the nearest side street eventually. The street was not free from foes. There were several undead creatures but fortunately for the group, no abominations were in their way. They dealt with the undead, igniting their bodies with the torch Turalyon's comrade was carrying.

It took a while for them to fight their way through the side streets but they arrived at the Court of the Sun eventually. They hadn't lost a single member of their group and Liadrin and the paladins had been able to heal the wounds the undead had caused.

At this very moment, the seven persons were hiding behind an upturned cart that had once transported goods like food or clothes. The members of the group hadn't eaten for days, their stomachs were growling but none of them had the appetite to eat any of the food that laid on the ground. The sight of these horrible creatures had spoiled their appetite.

Fortunately for them, they had potion which satisfied their hunger for a while. They could consume them faster and they also restored a portion of their strength and powers, allowing them to fight much longer.

Lireesa took one of these potions from her belt and drank it, signalizing her comrades to do the same. They obeyed her and put the empty glass bottles aside. Lireesa signalized them to remain behind the cart and do nothing until she would give them new orders.

She crawled to the left and leaned a bit to the side so she could take a peek to get an overview of the situation on the Court of the Sun. She spotted dozens of undead who were fighting against the remaining Silvermoon Guardians. And more undead were coming. Lireesa counted twenty guardians in total.

Nineteen. A big abomination had picked up one of the brave guards and had thrown him against the nearest wall. The guard had landed on the ground, blood was running down the wall. The guard didn't move. He was dead.

Lireesa noticed quickly that there were too many undead and too few guards. They wouldn't be able to hold off the undead for long. They were fighting bravely and tried to take out as many undead as possible. Half of these guards were paladins which could deal with the undead pretty well but it was only a matter of time until they would fall. They had no chance of winning in the long run.

Lireesa crawled back to her men. "There are less than twenty guards out there fighting against dozens of undead," she reported.

Kelrian drank a mana potion. "What's the plan? Do we have a plan?"

Lireesa's face showed determination. "Our plan is to fight the undead until our last breaths. We have to keep the undead away from the building as long as we can."

"That means we will die probably," concluded Liadrin, sadness was reflected by her eyes for a short moment.

"Most likely," responded the Ranger-General.

"We will follow you and fight with you until our last breaths," responded Kelrian.

"It was an honour for me to fight with you," said Turalyon and offered Lireesa a handshake. Lireesa clasped his forearm, smiling as Turalyon did the same. The others did the same, telling Lireesa that they would follow her to the very end.

"Can you create more arrows for us, Kelrian?" Lireesa asked.

Kelrian nodded. "Give me a few moments." His left hand clasped the hilt of his spellblade as he muttered a few sentences. He didn't need long to complete the spell, filling the quivers until each of them contained twenty-four arrows.

"Kelrian you will use fire spells against the undead and slow the massive things down if they come closer to us. Use a shock wave if too many of the smaller ones come too close to us. Don't spend all of your mana immediately."

Kelrian nodded.

Lireesa looked at the two paladins. "The holy light will be pretty helpful against the undead. Consecrate the ground beneath your feet and lure the undead into it. Keep them there but be careful that not too many of them approach you."

Turalyon and his friend nodded.

Lireesa's gaze landed on Liadrin. "When we reach the guards, try to heal them and put your blessings on them and on us. Maybe you have enough mana left to cast barriers and shields. We need to protect the remaining guards."

"I will give my best," responded the high priestess.

Lireesa took a deep breath. "Is everyone ready?" The six members of her group nodded. "Good, let's go and hope for the best," she said, got up and walked around the cart. She pulled an arrow from her quiver, aimed and fired, hitting a ghoul right between the eyes. The ghoul stopped walking and collapsed, the skeleton behind it fell over it and broke apart. Its bones were scattered all over the ground, the other undead creatures trampled over them and crushed them beneath their feet.

The mindless undead creatures ignored the group at first, so they were able to kill over a dozen creatures before one of the undead necromancers ordered a group of ghouls to attack them. Fifteen ghouls were walking towards them. Five were hit by a fireball, five were killed by arrows and the remaining five were taken down by the four melee fighters.

The necromancer ordered more undead creatures to attack the group. More than thirty undead were coming for them this time. Kelrian created a layer of ice over the ground, slowing them down. He even managed to freeze the feet of half of these creatures to the ground so that they couldn't move any further.

The group managed to kill all of them and burn their corpses without losing any member but Kelrian had already spent a large portion of his mana and there were still too many creatures out there. At least, Lireesa managed to take out the necromancer who was commanding the horde of undead.

Without him, the army was lacking a leader who could give them orders. The undead were on their own. Most undead ignored the group and continued to walk towards the Silvermoon Guardians who had lost five men in the meantime. Nevertheless, several undeadleft the formation from time to time and walked towards the group.

They came one by one so the group was able to take them out easily. Turalyon and his comrade consecrated the ground while the warrior ran to the marching undead army and turned the attention of several dozen on him. The creatures followed him and entered the holy field which hurt and weakened them so that the living could kill them pretty quickly.

The group and the guards fought hard but the number of undead didn't shrink. More and more undead creatures were coming and more and more Silvermoon Guardians fell. Lireesa's group didn't lose any member yet but only because the undead weren't focusing them. Most of these mindless creatures were walking towards Sunstrider Spire while only smaller groups ran to Lireesa's group and prevented that they could get any closer to the barricaded entrance of the spire.

"This is not good," hissed Lireesa. "We can't go to the guards. We would have to walk straight through the army of undead which would be suicide."

"But what do we do instead? Do we have another option?" Kelrian asked worriedly.

"We have to kill as many of these rotting corpses as possible. We can't stop them from entering the spire but we can reduce their numbers. The fewer creatures get in there, the more time the remaining civilians have. I'm sure that there are lots of guards inside the Spire. We won't help anyone if we rush through the mass of undead and die quickly. I don't mind losing my life but I want to kill as many creatures as possible before my demise. If we rush to the guards now, we may take out maybe a few dozen creatures before we die. If we remain here, we can kill and burn more of them."

"You are right," responded Liadrin.

"We have to watch out for necromancers. We can't burn all of their corpses so we have to make sure that no one raises them. We have to kill everyone who tries to raise the fallen," said Turalyon's friend.

"Behead the creatures and squash their heads if possible. If they don't have heads, they can't see us if they will be raised again. Let's hope they can't be raised without heads. Destroy as many parts of their bodies as you can. Behead them, cut off their legs and arms or burn them. Do what you can," commanded Lireesa.

The group carried out Lireesa's orders, lured more undead in the consecrated fields and killed them from afar. But more came with time. Three ghouls pounced on the human warrior, ripping his head apart before his comrades could come to his aid. Blood was spread all over the ground. The ghouls started to feed on his corpse but Kelrian sat it and these miserable creatures on fire. The ghouls ran towards Kelrian, collided with other undead and ignited them as well in the process. All of the burning undead turned to ashes before they could reach the ranger-mage but one of them jumped on Turalyon's friend before its body was consumed by the flames.

The human caught fire, Kelrian tried to extinguish the flames but another undead killed the paladin before Kelrian was able to save his comrade. A freshly raised hunter had thrown his spear at the paladin which had pierced through his damaged armour and his chest.

Turalyon was shocked by his friend's death but that didn't make him stop fighting. He became angry and felt grief. He used his anger and fought more fiercely than before, slaughtering many of these mindless wretches within a short amount of time. But it didn't matter how many they killed, burned or cut in little pieces because more creatures were coming. The swarm of undead creatures seemed to be endless.

But not only mindless creatures arrived. A certain person arrived at this very moment. Shivers ran down the spines of the living when the person came closer to them. They hadn't seen the person yet but they sensed a cold and uncomfortable aura. They were certain that a powerful creature had arrived. They checked their surroundings, wondering who that creature was. Their hearts stopped beating for a few seconds, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped as they recognized the person.

"Sylvanas?" Turalyon, Kelrian, Liadrin and Lireesa said at the same time when they recognized the facial features of the fallen Ranger-General. Their voices and faces reflected shock and doubt. They couldn't take their eyes off the creature that was flying above the ground. Her crimson red eyes were narrowed and rested on her family. She was gritting her teeth, anger was reflected by her face.

Another familiar person appeared. He was sitting on his undead horse, his cursed runeblade rested on his back. His pale lips formed an evil smile. "What are you waiting for, Sylvanas? Kill them all!"

The loud shriek that escaped the banshee's lips hurt the ears of the living, stunning them for a few seconds. She didn't hesitate to fly towards them, her arms were stretched out and her gloved hands were ready to grab the living and kill them.


	12. The Fall Of Silvermoon – Part Two

Sylvanas flew towards the group and tried to grab her mother but Lireesa rolled away at the last moment and avoided her attack. The Farstrider behind her was not fast enough, so Sylvanas grabbed him instead and lifted him up in the air. The male ranger fought like a maniac, trying to get free but Sylvanas' grip was strong. She lifted him high in the air and dropped him. She felt satisfied when her former subordinate hit the ground.

The breaking of bones couldn't be overheard, a puddle of blood appeared beneath the broken body. Lireesa drew a sharp breath, her widened eyes rested on the ranger for a few moments before she looked back at her daughter, or what was left of her. She could recognize her facial features but other than that the creature didn't look like her daughter. She recognized Sylvanas' high cheekbones, her full lips which colour had changed to dark blue and her perfect nose.

She knew that this creature had once been Sylvanas. She was hoping that this was only an illusion, a trick the death knight used to try to break her. She was hoping that this was not real but the longer she stared at the banshee, the more Lireesa got convinced that this flying creature was not her daughter. Her daughter would never harm anyone who was important to her. A few tears ran down her cheeks as she realized that her daughter was gone. She had already feared that Sylvanas had fallen in battle and would never return but seeing her like that was much worse than losing her.

She became a servant of the man she had tried to stop. Arthas Menethil had killed her beloved daughter and turned her into this creature. The woman in front of her was no longer Sylvanas. It was just another mindless creature who served the death knight and executed his orders without hesitation. She was nothing more than another servant who had to be taken down. Lireesa wanted nothing more than releasing her daughter from the service of that bastard. She didn't want her daughter, or what was left of her, to serve the former human for all eternity.

Lireesa's narrowed blue eyes stared into the red eyes of the banshee who was floating above the ground not far away from her and regarded her curiously. Lireesa didn't avert her gaze as she gave her group new orders. "I will stay here and keep that creature busy. You have to find a way to get into the building and make sure that as many citizens as possible step through the portal. Bring yourselves to safety if you can."

Kelrian's gaze fell on her. "You want to handle her alone? You can't do that. She will kill you."

Lireesa turned her head, regarding Kelrian out of the corner of her eyes. He looked scared, doubt and disbelieve were reflected by his face. Like her, he couldn't believe that Arthas had turned Sylvanas into one of his servants.

He didn't want to accept that Sylvanas was gone and had become a member of the army she had once tried to stop by any means. He didn't want to believe that Sylvanas was on the other side and fought against the living she had sworn to protect. He didn't want to fight her. He would have never believed that he would have to fight Sylvanas one day. He didn't want to fight her but there was nothing he could do. Nothing except for accepting the painful truth.

It pained him to see Sylvanas like that. He didn't want to imagine how she must feel at the moment. He guessed she didn't want to do any of the things Arthas forced her to do, but there was nothing she could do. He believed that she was forced to act as Arthas wanted. The Sylvanas he had known would never hurt anyone. The Sylvanas he had known didn't let her emotions control her and never showed when something or someone was frustrating her or making her angry.

But that creature was the entire opposite of the brave, controlled woman he had known. There was nothing but anger and hatred reflected by her face. She was gritting her teeth, her crimson eyes were narrowed and reflected nothing but pure hatred.

The loveable woman he had once known that been turned into this creature that seemed to hate everything and everyone that existed. He could no longer recognize the love of his life. He only recognized her beautiful facial features but they were distorted with anger, an emotion he had rarely seen in her face since he had gotten known to her.

He had never seen her so angry before. It scared him to see her like that. He wished that Sylvanas would have stayed dead instead of being raised and forced to serve the man who had murdered her. He wished she would have stayed dead instead of being turned into this monstrosity.

"I have to make sure that as many of my subordinates as possible survive and I don't want her to serve that bastard any longer. I have to release her and you have to survive. I don't know if Alleria is still alive but Sylvanas isn't. Sylvera, Raesh and Arator need their fathers. I order you to save as many civilians as you can before you go to Quel'Danas," Lireesa responded eventually and looked back at what was left of her daughter.

She didn't cry or showed that she was grieving for her beloved daughter. Instead, a determined look could be seen on her face. She had set herself the goal to release Sylvanas so that she wouldn't have to serve the death knight any longer.

She didn't want anyone to remember Sylvanas as the creature she had become. She wanted Sylvanas to always be remembered as the brave, strong and determined woman she had been before the butcher had murdered her. Sylvanas had sacrificed herself to buy as much time as possible for the evacuation of her people and now Lireesa would do the same to prevent Arthas from forcing her to do more things she would have never wanted to do.

Kelrian wanted to protest because he didn't want to leave her alone but Turalyon pulled him away and forced him to look at him. "Our mother-in-law is right. We have to go."

"But we can't leave her to die. Even if she manages to defeat and release Sylvanas, the undead will pounce on her and kill her," Kelrian said, sadness was reflected by his eyes. He had already lost his beloved wife, so he didn't want to lose another member of his family.

Liadrin said his name, making him look at her. Worry and shock were reflected by her eyes. "Lireesa is right. Think about your children. They will become orphans if you decide to stay. I appreciate that you don't want to leave Lireesa and help her to release Sylvanas but you have to think about your children too. They already lost their mother. They can't lose their father too. They would be shattered if they lose you too. You have to be there for them and comfort them as best as you can. They need you."

"Lireesa will give her life to safe us, so don't make her sacrifice meaningless," added the paladin.

Kelrian looked at his mother-in-law who gave him a nod. Sylvanas hadn't moved in the meantime nor had Arthas done anything. He was listening to the conversation, a wicked smile could be seen on his pale lips. Kelrian was surprised that no undead creature had attacked them in the meantime. Arthas could have ordered his creatures to attack them but he didn't. Kelrian assumed he was toying with them because he didn't expect that they would manage to escape. He also assumed that Arthas wanted Sylvanas to kill him and his family to make her suffer even more and make their death even more tragic

Kelrian didn't know if Sylvanas would care about killing them. There seemed to be nothing left of the good Sylvanas. He could only recognize the angry creature that wanted to kill and make others suffer. He didn't recognize his wife in her. The Sylvanas he had known was gone. He had to accept that one day and he was sure it wouldn't be easy. But he had no time to think about everything that had happened. Lireesa was right, they had to get into Sunstrider Spire, save as many civilians as possible and then try to escape to Quel'Danas.

Kelrian swallowed hard as he regarded Sylvanas for the last time before he turned around and ran away with Liadrin and Turalyon. Arthas' eyes rested on them until they were out of his sight. His gaze shifted to the mother of the creature he loved to make suffer.

Forcing Sylvanas to kill her mother was only the beginning. He had planned more for her and her friends, her family members and her loved wanted to make them suffer too. He had allowed them to leave because he knew they wouldn't be able to stop the inevitable. He would get them one day, he was sure about that. He toyed with them because he knew that they were no threat to him and his army. Nobody was. Nobody could stop him and his army.

His gaze wandered to Sylvanas. Her crimson eyes rested on her mother, her lips were pressed together. He knew she would kill her mother. There was no way the new Ranger-General would be able to defeat his newest creation. He had given Sylvanas much more power than he had given his other servants. Not even Dar'Khan Drathir, who had betrayed his people voluntarily, had received as much power as Sylvanas. She was his strongest servant at the moment and she would make him proud by killing as many persons she had sworn to protect in life as possible.

"I expect to see a good fight. Don't finish her too soon. Toy with her a little."

The banshee looked at the death knight. "As you wish, master."

Sylvanas began to move but only slowly, giving Lireesa enough time to take a potion, which contained a blue liquid, from her belt. It was the last one she had. The last potion which allowed her to be as strong as she had been in her prime but only for a limited amount of time. The effect would hold out for a few hours but Lireesa was sure the fight would be over sooner.

She peeked over her shoulder, counting five arrows in her quiver. She let her eyes wander around, spotting several arrows that stuck in undead creatures that hadn't been burned. Lireesa would need these arrows if she wanted to release Sylvanas so that she didn't have to obey her murderer anymore.

"Let's get this over with," said Lireesa and drew the first arrow from her quiver. She nocked the arrow, aimed and fired. Sylvanas dodged the arrow while Lireesa sprinted to the nearest corpses of undead creatures and pulled three arrows out of the decaying bodies in the meantime.

Sylvanas didn't say anything as she flew over to her mother and tried to grab her but the Ranger-General made a large leap to the left side, firing an arrow at the banshee. A loud shriek escaped Sylvanas' undead lips as the arrow hit her in the back. Her body was spectral but it was not invulnerable. Lireesa could hurt her and that meant she could also kill her. Kill her and release her from her suffering that way. That was all Lireesa could do for the precious daughter that had been taken away from her and turned into a monster that wanted to kill her own relatives.

The high elf pulled another arrow from her quiver, hitting Sylvanas in the side. The following shriek was much louder, forcing her mother to cover her ears. Lireesa had dropped her bow, her head was hurting and her ears were bleeding. She was stunned for a few moments, so Sylvanas flew over to her and knocked her away with a forceful punch.

The Ranger-General landed hard on the ground, painful noises escaped her lips as she got up. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to attack her again, punched her again and broke her nose. Blood flowed out but Lireesa didn't care. She drew her swords from her belt and attacked Sylvanas but the banshee was faster and avoided her attacks.

Lireesa tried it again and again but Sylvanas dodged her attempts until she got bored. She opened her mouth and let another scream escape her lips, forcing Lireesa to drop her swords as she covered her ears again. Sylvanas lifted the swords without touching them and threw them far away. A wide grin could be seen on her lips as she regarded her suffering mother. She didn't know why but for some reason she enjoyed to see others suffer. She had never enjoyed that before Arthas had killed and raised her but now she enjoyed witnessing the suffering of others.

She enjoyed seeing her mother's facial features distort in pain. She enjoyed inflicting pain to her. She leaned forwards, ran her hand over her mother's head, smirking as she saw her ears twitching. Sylvanas' touch was cold and felt weird. It was strange for the Ranger-General to be touched by this spectral creature. For a moment she had the impression that Sylvanas, her Sylvanas, was caressing her head but a few moments later she found out the hard way that it was not her Sylvanas.

The banshee had grabbed her head and pulled on it, making the woman shriek out in pain. She pulled harder and harder, her smile became wider the more pain she caused. She stopped eventually and threw her mother away, regarding the ripped-out strands of blonde hair in her hands.

"Is that all you got, mother? I expected more from you." Sylvanas approached her mother, regarding her with a provocative smile on her lips. Lireesa was lying on her back, her eyes rested on her daughter and her heart was hammering in her chest. She wondered what this creature, that had once been her daughter, would do to her. She was expecting the worst. The banshee would do everything her master would demand from her.

It was not looking good for Lireesa. She had hoped she could end her daughter's suffering but Sylvanas was much stronger than her. Even with the potions, she was not strong enough to beat her. Arthas had made Sylvanas too powerful. She had no chance of releasing her daughter from eternal servitude. She couldn't defeat her without aid but fortunately, she still had an ace up in her sleeve.

Her hands wandered slowly to her belt. She opened one of the many pouches that hung on it and pulled a spherical object out of it. It had a light-grey colour and yellow glowing symbols were engraved in it. It was a weapon that had been developed by the gnomes. Prototypes of this weapon had been used in the Second War against the death knights that had been created by orcish warlocks. The prototypes had been pretty effective, so the gnomes had further developed this weapon for the case that the Alliance would have to fight against death knights again one day.

This object was Lireesa's last hope. She knew she was going to die and she had already accepted that but she was hoping she could take Sylvanas with her and end her suffering. She didn't want that this butcher would use her to kill more people Sylvanas had sworn to protect. It was Lireesa's duty to take care of what was left of her daughter. Sylvanas didn't deserve to be remembered as a spectral creature that enjoyed killing her former people. She deserved to rest and always be remembered as the brave Ranger-General who gave her life to save her people.

Lireesa knew that the banshee was toying with her, so she assumed she would allow her to get up and increase the distance between them. Indeed, Sylvanas was acting as expected. She regarded her mother while she walked away from her, the weapon in her hand didn't concern her. She felt no fear, Arthas had made sure of that.

Her head was tilted as she stared at her mother who had built up enough distance to her. "What are you trying to do, mommy? Will you throw that thing at me and hope I just disappear or how does your plan look like?"

Lireesa didn't respond to her. She looked at the object in her hand and then at her daughter. She regarded her for a few moments before she pressed the small red buttonand threw the object at Sylvanas. Sylvanas didn't move and watched the object coming closer. It landed in front of her on the ground.

Sylvanas regarded it for a few moments, finding out that nothing happened. Echoing laughter escaped her lips but her laughter died away quickly as the object exploded a few seconds later and holy light was set free. The light came in contact with Sylvanas' spectral form and hurt her.

The pain she was feeling was immense, much worse than any pain she had felt before. The only exception was the pain she had felt when Arthas had brought her back from the dead. Her skin was burning, her head was hurting very badly and she felt powerless. She tried to move away but she couldn't.

She was not able to prevent that Lireesa pounced on her and dragged her to the ground. The Ranger-General pulled a dagger from her belt but it was not a normal dagger. The dagger was enchanted by mages and blessed by priests and its purpose was to kill undead creatures.

Lireesa stared into the red orbs of the creature that had once been her dear daughter as she brought the dagger closer to her heart. Her intention was to thrust it in Sylvanas' heart and end her poor existence that way. She was doing that for her daughter. Her daughter deserved to rest. Lireesa didn't want Sylvanas to be forced to serve her murderer any longer.

Sylvanas was trying to prevent that. She had grabbed her wrists and tried hard to push her mother's arms away. Sylvanas was still weakened by the grenade, so she had not enough strength to stop the dagger's sharp tip from coming closer and closer. Sylvanas' eyes reflected nothing but anger and hatred.

But these emotions vanished and were replaced by fear quickly. The banshee was afraid of dying and Lireesa had the impression that a small part of her Sylvanas was still left in this creature. She had thought that her daughter was gone. She had thought her daughter had been erased by the death knight but the longer she stared into her eyes the more she got convinced that her daughter was not fully gone.

She assumed that Arthas had not fully mind-controlled her. Sylvanas had not been herself the entire time but now it seemed that the monster was vanishing and the good Sylvanas was breaking through and taking her place. Lireesa could interpret that as a good sign but she still doubted that Sylvanas wanted to be an undead creature. Nevertheless, she was unsure of what she should do. Should she release her daughter and allow her to have her deserved peace in the afterlife or should she spare her and fight with her against the death knight?

Lireesa was unsure of what to do. She would have had no problems killing that creature while knowing that it was no longer her daughter. But now that she was sure that Sylvanas still existed, it seemed impossible for her to kill her. She just couldn't kill her daughter. She couldn't kill her sweet little Sylvanas. Her successor. The daughter that had been loved by everyone and had always tried to save her people by any means.

She loved all of her children equally, she had no favourite child but Sylvanas had always been more determined than her sisters. Unlike Alleria, she hadn't refused to become Ranger-General even though she had known what that would mean for her. She had succeeded her, knowing that she would have more responsibilities, more stress and less free time.

A minute ago, Lireesa had been determined to end the creature's life but now she was no longer able to do it. She couldn't kill the banshee. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she stopped trying to ram the dagger in her daughter's heart. She kept staring into the eyes of her daughter who returned her gaze. The fear vanished but the anger and the hatred didn't reappear.

It seemed that Sylvanas was herself at the moment. Lireesa was only asking herself how long she will remain herself. She had the premonition that the death knight would bring her back under his control sooner or later.

She knew she should release Sylvanas before he would do that but seeing her like that made it impossible. She just couldn't bring herself to stab her daughter in the heart. She was her mother, she had given birth to her, breastfed her and raised her. She would never do anything that would hurt her sweet little girl. She couldn't, even though she didn't want that her daughter would have to serve that bastard forever.

"I cannot..." she whispered and dropped the dagger. Tears ran down her cheeks.

She turned her head as she heard someone clapping. Arthas was the one who was clapping while regarding mother and daughter. "That is so sweet, I have to admit that," he said, a scornful tone could be clearly heard in his voice.

"I cannot kill her. Unlike you, I can't kill my relatives. I'm not a monster like you."

Arthas' facial features didn't change. "You cannot kill her, I see. But she can."

Lireesa looked at Sylvanas, noticing the panic in her eyes. Her Sylvanas would never harm her, Lireesa was sure of that. She looked back at the death knight, raising an eyebrow. "My daughter would never do that."

The death knight laughed. "Your daughter is gone."

"I doubt that."

Arthas smirked. He lifted Frostmourne and pointed its tip at Sylvanas. The banshee started to scream suddenly, pressing her hands on her head as if she was hoping that it would ease the massive amount of pain she was feeling. It felt as if her head was about to explode. She wanted nothing more than to stop the pain. She would do anything to make it stop. Lireesa watched in horror as the panic in Sylvanas' eyes was replaced by anger and hatred. Arthas had regained control over her.

Lireesa tried to pick up the dagger but Sylvanas was faster and threw it out of her reach. She grabbed her mother by the throat and started to throttle her. The corners of Arthas' lips formed a wide grin as he regarded the happening in front of his eyes. "Keep going Sylvanas. Now stare in your mother's eyes and tell her that everything will be fine."

Sylvanas obeyed him. "Everything will be fine, mommy. It will be over soon. You won't have to see me like this much longer. Greet Lirath from me when you meet him in the Bastion."

Lireesa's lips moved but no sound escaped her lips. Nevertheless, Sylvanas knew what she tried to say because she could lip-read. _Greet Lirath yourself._ Lireesa pulled another enchanted dagger from her belt and rammed it in Sylvanas' chest.

Sylvanas was able to throw her mother onto the ground before she felt a massive amount of pain that was making her cry out loudly. She tried to remove the dagger but it was too painful to touch. She only made the pain worse when touching it but she knew she had to remove it. She grabbed the dagger's handle and started to pull it out slowly, feeling that the pain got worse with each passing second.

But Lireesa was not idle in the meantime. She picked up the first dagger Sylvanas had thrown away and ran towards her but she was not able to reach her. Someone froze her feet to the ground and prevented that she could stab the banshee again.

She turned her head, noticing that Frostmourne's tip was pointed at her. Arthas was responsible that she couldn't move andrelease her daughter. Arthas' grin became wider as Sylvanas recovered after she had pulled the dagger out of her chest.

The banshee got up and flew to her mother, wrapping her fingers around her throat again but she didn't throttle her yet. Instead, she looked at her master who was coming closer and closer. Arthas looked at Lireesa, a satisfied expression could be seen on his face. "I assume it must really break your heart to see your daughter like that. I turned her into a killing machine. Many will die by her hands. She will serve the Scourge well. She will serve for all eternity."

Arthas' smile became much wider as he spotted the tears that ran down the Ranger-General's cheeks. Sylvanas was staring at her, nothing but anger could be seen in her eyes. She didn't care that her existence broke her mother's heart. She didn't care that her mother was crying because Arthas had turned her into a slave. She was under Arthas' control and felt what he wanted her to feel and did what he wanted her to do.

Arthas handed Sylvanas one of her mother's swords. "Show her what it truly means to break a heart. Sylvanas nodded, took the sword and thrust it in her mother's chest.

Lireesa's eyes widened, a loud painful cry escaped her lips and blood flowed out of her mouth. The ice around her feet vanished and Sylvanas let her go, causing that Lireesa fell onto the ground. Arthas snapped his fingers, watching amusedly as the anger vanished from Sylvanas' eyes.

The mind control stopped and Sylvanas regained control over her form. Her eyes widened, a loud scream escaped her lips as she realized what she had done. She had just stabbed her mother right through the chest.

She got on her knees and wrapped her arms around her mother's torso, lifting it up. She removed the sword, watching in horror as a large amount of blood flowed out of the deep wound. She stared into her mother's face, noticing that she became very pale quickly. Her blue eyes were widened and stared into hers.

Lireesa was shocked but unable to say anything. Sylvanas was more shocked than her, guilt started to overwhelm her. She couldn't believe that she had just stabbed her mother. She had just stabbed the woman she had always loved and always looked up to. She had pierced her heart with her own sword. Her mother was dying and it was her fault. She had stabbed her. Killed her. Murdered her. She was responsible for the demise of the person who had given birth to her.

Sylvanas pressed her hand on the hole in her mother's chest, knowing that it was pointless to try to stop the bleeding. "Mother... I'm so sorry," she whispered but Lireesa couldn't hear it because the last signs of life had already left her. Lireesa's body became limp, her eyes stopped glowing and her pulse stopped beating. She was dead. Sylvanas had killed her.

The banshee put her head on her mother's chest, loud cries escaped her lips. She felt nothing but desperation, grief and guilt at the moment. She hated herself. She hated herself for killing her mother. But she also hated Arthas Menethil for forcing her to kill her. She also hated him for killing and raising her. She hated him for everything he had done to her and her people.

Hatred started to overwhelm her. She was really angry. She was so angry that she wanted to make someone suffer. But this time it was not a random inhabitant of Quel'Thalas she wanted to make suffer. This time it was the death knight himself who she wanted to kill more than anyone else.

She rose in the air, stretched her arms out and flew towards Arthas, intending to dig her sharp fingers into his pale flesh but the death knight lifted his sword, causing unbearable pain to the banshee. He didn't need to touch her to make her suffer.

She wanted to kill him so badly, wanted to make him pay for his crimes. He killed Verena, her friends and then her. He forced her to kill her mother. He caused so much death and destruction. He had to pay for everything but Sylvanas was unable to hurt him. That made her much angrier than she already was but she was unable to take out her anger on the person that deserved it the most.

Arthas looked at her amused. He enjoyed to torture her and make her suffer. His mischievous grin became wider as an idea came in his evil mind. Another way to make Sylvanas suffer had just come in his mind. She would have to witness everything that would happen around her but she wouldn't be able to do anything. She wouldn't be able to influence her actions. That way she wouldn't be able to stop herself from killing more high elves and more people who were important to her. She would have to witness the demise of the people she loved.

Arthas made his horse move towards Sunstrider Spire which entrance had been forced open by his abominations. Sylvanas didn't want to follow him but her form was acting on its own. She tried to resist but all her efforts were pointless. She was powerless. All she could do was watch as her spectral form followed the death knight to the building. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself from killing more innocents. She could only hope that Kelrian, her family or her friends wouldn't cross her path. She could only hope that everyone who was important to her would reach Quel'Danas as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters will also be dramatic. Hold out. The atmosphere will get better sooner or later.


	13. Quel'Danas

"It's not looking good, my king. The undead managed to get through the gate and kill everyone that crosses their way. We evacuated as many citizens as possible but we weren't able to bring everyone to Quel'Danas. More than half of the population died already. We can only hope Arthas Menethil won't find a way to cross the sea. If he does, we will all die. There is no other place where we can retreat."

High King Anasterian Sunstrider turned his head, looking at the ranger who spoke to him. Lor'themar was standing next to the bed in which the king rested since his personal doctor had told him to do that.

"We can only hope for the best. This monster has managed to get past both gates, which I have never thought would be possible. Who knows what he is capable of? Maybe he even finds a way to cross the sea."

"I doubt he will," responded Lor'themar. "He burned all of Lordaeron's ships in Northrend and our remaining ships are docking at this island. There is no way..." Lor'themar stopped speaking as someone knocked at the door. He and the king turned their heads and looked at the door. "Come in," shouted Anasterian.

The door was opened a moment later and Melisandra entered the room. She looked worried and didn't hesitate to walk over to her husband. Anasterian raised an eyebrow and gave her a look which was a mix of worry and curiosity. He expected that she had bad news for him. "What's wrong?" he asked and lifted his upper body up, leaning against the headboard of the wooden bed.

Melisandra's voice was much weaker than usual and reflected insecurity and concern. "Arthas Menethil froze the water and created a bridge of ice which allows his undead army to get over the sea. They are coming, maybe they have already arrived on this island. What should we do?"

Fear was reflected by her eyes. She was afraid of the undead army that would come for them. She was worried about her family and about her people. She didn't want to die. She didn't want anyone to die. She wished that everything was just a bad nightmare but the sad truth was that it was not. What was happening was real. Arthas Menethil would come to Quel'Danas and would kill everyone who would get in the way of his undead army.

The same fear was reflected in the eyes of Lor'themar and the king. They couldn't believe what the queen had just said but the look on her face told them that she was serious about this. Arthas Menethil was coming for the remaining survivors. He wanted to kill everyone.

Anasterian got up from his bed against his wife's protest and walked over to the display case which contained his armour. He stroked over a blue glowing rune that was engraved into the glass, murmured a few words and deactivated the spell that prevented that anyone could open the glass case.

"What are you doing, Anasterian?" his wife asked worriedly and put her hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "What a king must do."

Melisandra shook her head in disbelief. She didn't like the idea of her husband leaving their room to fight Arthas Menethil. He was not in the condition to fight anyone. Especially not a death knight who had even defeated the famous Ranger-General. He wouldn't stand a chance against him. She couldn't allow him to start a fight that was lost from the beginning. She couldn't allow him to lose his life for nothing.

She grabbed her husband's arm and tried to pull him away but he resisted. She hadn't expected him to still be so strong after the doctor had diagnosed his disease and ordered him to take things easy. His physical strength surprised her, so she stopped pulling on his arm. She looked into her husband's eyes and recognized determination in them.

She knew that look well enough. She knew that she wouldn't manage to convince him of the opposite no matter how hard she would try. Once he put something into his head, he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. He was the king of the high elves so that was usually the case. He got what he wanted most of the times. His wife didn't dare to contradict him, knowing she wouldn't manage to convince him to stay in bed.

"Arthas Menethil must be stopped. It's my duty as the king to protect my people. I have failed my people so far so I can't afford to fail again. This bastard must be stopped, otherwise, he will kill the remaining survivors."

"You won't be able to stop him alone, Anasterian. That's suicide."

A sad smile appeared on his lips. "I have no other choice. I have to try it."

Sadness was clearly visible in the queen's face. She didn't want her husband to face Arthas alone. She didn't want him to go because she didn't want to lose him. But she knew he was right, even though she didn't want to admit it. It was his duty to protect their people, so he had to go. It hurt her to imagine losing him. She didn't want to lose him. He had been very powerful when he had been much younger but he had become weaker over the past centuries.

She assumed that he may have been able to defeat the death knight in his prime but he wouldn't be able to do that these days. He needed someone at his side who would help him to defeat the evil human. Someone who was powerful too. His son Kael'thas was still in Dalaran, so he wouldn't be able to help him. Melisandra had no other choice than going with her husband and support him.

"I will join you," she said and opened the display case, ignoring the surprised look on her husband's face. Anasterian was about to say something but the younger queen put her index fingers on his pale lips, silencing him. "You can't do this alone."

She removed her finger, stared into his eyes until he nodded. She helped him to put his armour on, then she turned her head and looked at Lor'themar who was still standing next to the bed. "Tell every mage you find to evacuate as many people as possible to Dalaran. We don't know how much time we can buy nor do we know if we can defeat that human traitor. That's why you have to hurry"

Lor'themar nodded and bowed to her once she had signalized him that he was dismissed. He left the royal quarters quickly and closed the door behind him. Melisandra turned back to her husband and regarded him from head to toe. He looked good in his majestic silver armour which was adorned with golden decorating elements. He had no helmet, but a blue and red coloured cape that reached down to the back of his knees.

Melisandra put her hands on his cheeks and caressed them softly while staring into his eyes. His eyes had once glowed much brighter than they were glowing nowadays. That was another sign that his time on Azeroth was limited. He had not much time left if his son wouldn't find a cure, so Melisandra saw no reason in trying to talk him out of the idea.

She knew he would rather die in battle than in bed. She hoped he wouldn't die that day. She hoped he would survive and Kael'thas would find a cure but to make that happen they had to defeat the former prince of Lordaeron. The former prince of the nation that had once been an ally of Quel'Thalas.

She pressed a soft kiss on her husband's lips before she pulled away and walked over to the shelf, pulling on a certain book that opened a hidden door next to the shelf. She looked at her husband who nodded at her and entered the room, returning a minute later. He held a special sword in his hand.

It was a curved sword, its heavily decorated handle was made out of gold. The first half of the blade was decorated in red while the other half was black. It was a runeblade which belonged to Anasterian's family for millenniums. His ancestor Dath'Remar Sunstrider was the first wielder of the legendary runeblade and the first king of Quel'Thalas. He had forged it and passed it to his successor before he died who passed it to their successor and so on until it had been Anasterian's turn to receive the runeblade and the crown.

The name of the blade was Felo'melorn and it was the most powerful sword the high elves possessed. The sword hadn't become weaker over the past thousands of years but its current owner had. Melisandra was worried that her husband wouldn't hold out long enough, so she pulled something out of the drawer of her bedside table and handed it to Anasterian. It was a large potion that contained a yellow liquid.

"What is this?" the king asked as he regarded it. He looked back at his wife, a questioning look could be seen on his creased face.

"You are not strong enough to fight Arthas. That potion restores most of the power you lost over the centuries and it alleviates the symptoms of your disease for a limited amount of time."

"Let's hope it will be enough to defeat that human and avenge the fallen. I feel sorry for Sylvanas and Lireesa. I feel sorry for everyone who fell against the undead. If only I would have been able to protect them."

Anasterian's face reflected sadness. He accused himself of letting his people down. Arthas Menethil's undead army had ravaged through Quel'Thalas while he had done nothing but lying in bed and resting. He had failed his people but he wouldn't fail them again. He was determined to end Arthas' life and his campaign.

He was brought out of his thoughts as he felt Melisandra's warm hands on his cheeks. She was staring into his eyes, giving him a small smile as she noticed that he was returning her gaze. "Everything will turn out well, my dear. We will kill Arthas and save as many people as we can. We will get through this crisis and rebuild our kingdom. It may take millenniums to reach the number of inhabitants we once had but we can do this. We just have to believe in ourselves."

She kissed him and he returned the kiss, smiling at her when he pulled away. "We should go," he said.

"Let me get my wand first and then we can go."

Anasterian nodded and watched her taking her wand out of a locked wooden chest. The wand was made out of special and enchanted wood and the tip was a large white crystal. The wand was decorated in gold and blue glowing symbols had been carved in it.

"I never thought that I have to use it again. I had hoped the peace we had during the past fifteen years would endure forever. I would have never expected us to get attacked by a former ally," Melisandra said.

"Nobody would have expected that. I can't blame Lordaeron or Terenas for it. It was all his son's fault. Arthas is attacking our kingdom and not Lordaeron. The deceased king and the population are not responsible for anything. It's all Arthas' fault and he will pay for his crimes today."

Melisandra took her husband's hand and intertwined their fingers. A determined look could be seen on her face. "Yes, he will pay."

* * *

"Take that you mindless wretches," Kelrian shouted as he sent a large fireball at a group of undead that were coming closer to him. The fireball's explosion killed most of them instantly, only a few didn't die immediately but they burned to ashes within a few seconds. Kelrian had taken out a group of undead but there were still too many of them out there. Too many of them were coming and trying to break through the provisional barricades.

There were not enough defenders to hold them up for long, which meant that the undead will break through the barricades sooner or later. There was no way to prevent that. Kelrian had thought that his family and the remaining survivors would be safe on Quel'Danas because he had never expected that Arthas would find a way to cross the sea. He never expected him to create a huge ice bridge which would connect Silvermoon City and Quel'Danas and allow the undead to cross the sea.

Kelrian had never expected the undead to set foot on the island where the Sunwell stood. He assumed that Arthas wanted the Sunwell but he had no idea why. He was asking himself what the death knight wanted to he wanted to destroy it but Kelrian doubted he knew how to do that. Also, it wouldn't make sense for Arthas to destroy the Sunwell because he had already killed most citizens of Quel'Thalas. The defenders had no chance against his army, even with the power the received from the Sunwell.

He had no idea what Arthas would do with the Sunwell but he assumed he would never find out. Either he would die while trying to buy as much time as possible or he would help the remaining survivors to flee. Either they will go through portals or take boats. He doubted he would be in the Sunwell's near and find out what Arthas was planning.

Kelrian created another fireball, hitting a massive abomination that was walking towards him. The ground beneath its feet was trembling while it was moving. The fireball exploded when it hit the monster but it didn't die yet. It kept walking, horrible screams escaped its ugly fat lips as the fire started to consume its body. Kelrian created a layer of thin and slippery ice beneath the abomination's feet, causing it to slip and fall.

Kelrian created another fireball, noticing that he felt much more exhausted than before as he threw it at the creature. He was aware that he had already usedmost of his mana. He had to be careful with his remaining recourses. He only had one mana potion left which he would drink when he would notice that he couldn't cast another spell. He had to choose wisely which kind of spells he would use. The best solution was to cast simple spells that didn't cost too much mana. Like smaller fire techniques and not gigantic fireballs that can extinguish dozens of undead at the same time.

He still had his bow he could use after he had spent his last amount of mana. He only had twelve arrows left but he was sure he would find more arrows. Dozens of his comrades laid dead on the ground. Mages, priests, paladins, warriors but also rangers. He was sure he would be able to pick up more arrows and use them to kill as many undead as possible. Killing the undead seemed pointless because Arthas raised the fallen high elves. and made up for his losses that way.

Nevertheless, Kelrian burnt as many as possible to make Arthas' losses larger. The question Kelrian was asking himself was: Did their resistance make a difference?

Most of those who died joined the ranks of the death knight involuntarily. The creatures whose bodies were burnt remained dead and wouldn't be raised again because it was impossible to raise anyone out of ashes. Their bodies must still exist, otherwise, they couldn't be raised. Nevertheless, too many fallen quel'dorei were raised and forced to serve Arthas.

Kelrian checked his surroundings, noticing that not many defenders were in his near. He was not far away from the Sunwell Plateau on top of a small turret. Because of his higher position he had a better overview of the situation. Tens of thousands of undead were coming closer and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop them. It was impossible to burn all of them. He wouldn't have enough mana for that.

Even if he would consume his last potion, he wouldn't be able to cast more than three or four spells. His master had told him that his mana pool was much larger than the mana pools of other mages and spellcasters. He had told him that he had more power than most spellcasters he knew but his power was still limited so was his mana pool. He couldn't fight for all eternity. He wouldn't be able to kill the undead effectively without fire spells. It was impossible to stop the tens of thousands of undead creatures that were coming closer and closer.

He remembered the conversation he had with Sylvanas before he had left her. He had promised her to bring their children to safety and make sure he would stay alive as well. He knew that the Sylvanas he had known was gone. She had been turned into a servant of the death knight. She was no longer herself but that didn't free him from the promise he made.

Usually, he always kept his promises. He will make sure that his children survive but he wasn't sure if he could keep the promise that he would survive too. He will try to stay alive but he wouldn't shrink back from sacrificing himself to save others. It was his duty as a Ranger-Lieutenant to make sure that as many people as possible would survive.

Kelrian could only hope that his children were already on the boats which would bring them away from the island. He had requested Camillia to bring her daughter and his children to the harbour, so he was hoping they were out of Arthas' reach already. He wanted nothing more than his family to be safe. He had already lost Sylvanas. And Lireesa probably too. He didn't want to lose more members of his family.

It was pointless to try to hold this pass because it was impossible. There were too many undead and far too few rangers and mages. He would only find death there and he wouldn't help anyone if he would die and be raised by a necromancer. But he could go to the harbour and buy more time so that more people could get in the boats. He closed his eyes and got concentrated, gathering the last remains of his mana for the powerful spell he wanted to cast.

He felt the last remains of his power rush through his body and gather in one place. He drew his last mana out of his body and used it to create a massive ice wall that reached from the left side of the pass to the opposite side. That way, the undead wouldn't be able to pass it as long as it stood. They had to destroy it if they wanted to pass and that would cost them time. The tall wall wouldn't break so easily.

Kelrian regarded his creation for a few seconds before he turned around and walked to the edge of the roof. He was about to climb down the ladder, that leaned against the house's wall, as he heard a loud shriek. A familiar loud shriek. He turned around, his heart stopped beating for a few moments as he recognized the flying creature that had just appeared out of nowhere.

He recognized the beautiful face that reflected nothing but anger. He recognized the red glowing eyes that had once been blue and had never reflected hatred while looking at him. He recognized the pale blonde hair, the dark blue skin and the legs which had no feet. The creature was no other than Sylvanas who was still under Arthas' control.

And that meant that Lireesa hadn't succeeded. She hadn't been able to kill Sylvanas. Lireesa was dead and that made him pretty sad. She was his mother-in-law, so he had loved her. And now she was dead. But Kelrian had no time to grieve. He had to get away before that creature that had once been Sylvanas would kill him.

He couldn't know that Sylvanas had gotten her awareness back. Unlike the first time they had met, she was aware of what was happening around her and what she was doing. What her form was doing in this case. Her form was still acting on its own and there was nothing the former Ranger-General of Silvermoon could do to stop what was happening.

She had been forced to kill her mother. She had been forced to kill the people she had sworn to protect. She had been forced to do things she didn't want to do, things she would have never done in life. She had been forced to do so many horrible things and it was far from being over. She could only assume that Arthas wanted her to kill the man she loved more than anyone else. This bastard wanted her to kill the love of her life and there was nothing she could do about that. She wished she didn't have to do this but she was powerless.

She was nothing more than a spirit that was forced to watch and witness all the horrible things the undead were doing to her people. She couldn't even turn her head or close her eyes. She was forced to watch. All she could do was hoping that Kelrian would get away and remain alive. She could also hope that he would release her so that she no longer had to witness the brutal deaths of her people. She no longer wanted to kill her people. Everything her form did was horrible to watch. It didn't even spare elders, women or children.

She didn't want to hurt anyone, especially not the love of her life. She didn't want to hurt her family or the inhabitants of Quel'Thalas. She didn't want any of this. But what she wanted didn't matter. She had no control over what she was doing, so she couldn't stop herself from getting closer and closer to the man she loved. He was still standing on the roof of the small turret, his eyes were widened in fear.

He was afraid of her because he had seen what she was capable of. She had killed her former subordinates and he was convinced that he wouldn't be an exception. He had to flee. He couldn't kill her even if he wanted to. He still had his mana potion but he didn't want to fight the creature that had once been his wife and the mother of his children.

He could fight her and try to release her but he was not sure if he would be able to finish her if he would get the chance. Whenever he looked at that creature, he recognized assumed he wouldn't be able to ram his sword through her chest or set her on fire because she looked like his deceased wife. He was not even able to pull an arrow from his quiver and fire it at her. All he was able to do was to climb down the ladder and run as fast as he could.

But Sylvanas followed him. She was able to fly over the ice wall and she was much faster than the ranger. Kelrian noticed that and pulled his last mana potion from his belt. He wanted to increase his running speed with a spell but to do that he needed more mana. He removed the lid and brought the round, small glass flask to his lips. But the banshee knocked it out of his hand at the last moment, causing that the glass shattered and the blue liquid was spread all over the ground. Sylvanas dragged him to the ground and grabbed his throat, starting to throttle him.

Kelrian grabbed her wrists and tried to remove her hands but she was too strong for him. He couldn't stop her from cutting off his air supply. His heart was hammering in his chest, cold shivers ran down his spine and his skin tingled nervously. Her touch was icy cold and her dangerous red glowing eyes bored into his. Nothing but hatred was reflected in them.

Sylvanas didn't want to hurt Kelrian. She wanted nothing more than protecting him but she was not in control. She was not responsible for her actions because an invisible might was forcing her to do what she would never do voluntarily. Seeing Kelrian suffer hurt her more than she was hurting him. Her heart was no longer beating but she still felt it aching while watching Kelrian struggling for breath. She could only hope Kelrian would manage to get free somehow. Unfortunately, she was much stronger than him, so his chance to get free was pretty low.

Sylvanas watched in horror as his skin colour turned blue and the blue glow in his eyes faded. His efforts to resist became weaker and weaker over time, signalizing her that he wouldn't hold out for too long. She prayed to the Sunwell that Kelrian would find the strength to shake her off and release her from her torment.

She no longer wanted to live if her only purpose was to hurt the ones she loved. She no longer wanted to live if there was nothing but agony and pain left for her. She didn't want to live such a life but she had no control over anything. All she could hope for was that someone would end her suffering. But it didn't seem that Kelrian would be the one who would do it. He was close to death, too weak to fight her off.

Seeing him like this made her really sad. She didn't want him to die. She didn't want to witness his death. She didn't want him to be raised and didn't want him to suffer like her. She didn't want him to serve this bastard for eternity.

She wanted him to stay alive and take care of their children but it didn't seem that he would make it out alive. She was not even allowed to cry, even though she felt as if she would break out in tears the next moment. All she could do was watching Kelrian who got weaker and weaker the longer she chocked him.

Her hands still clasped his throat tightly but her grip became looser when something pierced her back. A loud cry escaped her lips as another thing pierced her back. She let go of Kelrian's throat, her hands wandered to her back and pulled the things out. She was holding two arrows in her hands but these arrows were not normal arrows. They had been blessed by a paladin or a priest, making them much more effective against undead creatures.

Sylvanas' ears recognized Kelrian's quiet and weak breaths but the power that was controlling her didn't care about him at the moment. Her attention shifted to the woman who stood on a small hill and pulled another arrow out of her quiver, firing it at the banshee. But Sylvanas dodged it with ease, flying towards the ranger.

The woman had light-pink dyed hair that reached to her shoulders, her uniform was dirty and covered with fresh blood. But it was not her blood, it was the blood of the undead creatures she had slain recently. She saw the banshee coming closer but she remained calm, pulling another arrow out her quiver. She waited until the banshee had almost reached her, then she let the arrow loose which pierced the banshee's neck.

Sylvanas let a loud cry escape her lips as she stopped about ten feet away from the ranger. She brought her hands to her neck, intending to pull the arrow out slowly. The blessed arrow was hurting her pretty badly, so she wanted nothing more than removing it.

The ranger wasn't idle in the meantime. She pulled a dagger, that had been blessed as well, and rammed it in the banshee's back. She looked at Kelrian, noticing that the undead were coming closer. She had two options. Either she killed the banshee and let the undead reach Kelrian or she spared the banshee and saved the man she had feelings for quite some time. She chose the latter and sprinted towards Kelrian. She helped him up and regarded him for a few moments.

Kelrian's skin colour was no longer bluish but was very pale instead. He was breathing heavily, fear was reflected by his eyes. "You don't need to be afraid, Kel. I'm here."

Kelrian blinked in surprise. "Elena? Is it really you?"

Elena nodded and wrapped her arms around his hips and his shoulders, supporting him that way. "We don't have much time for talking. We need to reach the harbour as fast as possible. Can you walk?"

Kelrian hesitated for a moment. "I doubt it."

"Drink this," Elena responded and handed him a flask with a red liquid in it. It was a healing potion. Kelrian didn't hesitate to drink it, feeling a little better. His head was still hurting so was his neck but at least he felt strong enough to walk without Elena's support.

"We have to hurry," reminded Elena. "This banshee will follow us soon and she is a lot faster than us. The knife in her back won't hold her up for too long."

"This banshee..." Kelrian started but stopped speaking because he didn't know what he should say.

"This banshee was once your wife but she became a different person. Arthas turned her into a monster and forces her to kill everyone she has sworn to protect. She nearly killed you. She is not the person she once was."

Kelrian didn't respond. Elena was right. Sylvanas had tried to kill him. But he knew he wouldn't be able to kill her even if she would try to kill him again. He wouldn't be able to kill the creature that looked like his deceased wife. He believed he would never be able to do that. He was not able to think about her any further because he was brought out of his thoughts when Elena grabbed his wrist and dragged him with her.

"This is not the time to be lost in thoughts. We have to hurry," Elena shouted and signalized him to move. Kelrian obeyed her and ran as fast as he could, following the course of the pass with her. He was only hoping that Sylvanas wouldn't catch up to them.

He could hear her angry shrieks but they became quieter and quieter the more distance he left behind him. He didn't look back to see what Sylvanas was doing. He only assumed that something or someone was holding her up. He had expected that she would follow them but she didn't. She stayed behind for a reason he didn't know. He was glad she did because he didn't want to fight her.

He believed he would never be able to fight her, let alone kill her.


	14. The Power Of The Sunwell

"This is your last chance, Arthas. Leave our kingdom now and never return," shouted Anasterian and pointed Felo'melorn's tip at the death knight.

Evil laughter escaped the human's lips, his blue eyes rested on the old king and his much younger wife. The queen was wearing a blue robe while the king wore full armour. Only his head was unprotected.

Arthas regarded the king's runeblade curiously. He sensed that it was very powerful but not as powerful as Frostmourne. However, he didn't intend to underestimate the king and his wife. They seemed to be pretty powerful but Arthas assumed he would still be able to defeat them.

"It took me a lot of effort to get to this island. Your people have done a great job of stopping me and buying as much time as possible. But you can't escape the inevitable. I offered your Ranger-General to surrender and let me pass but she refused. Hundreds of thousands of your people died because of her arrogance. Because of her pride. Because she didn't want to accept that she can't outrun the inevitable. Your defeat was certain from the beginning but little naive Sylvanas refused to accept it. Now your people are suffering because of her mistakes."

Anasterian gritted his teeth, his widened eyes still rested on the death knight. "Sylvanas did what she thought was right. She tried to defend her kingdom and save as many lives as possible. She died holding up your army as long as possible. She was not naive or arrogant. She sacrificed herself for her people. She died like a heroine and will always be remembered as a heroine. The only one who is naive and arrogant is you, butcher."

Arthas laughed amused but didn't say anything in return.

It was Melisandra's turn to speak. "You offered the Ranger-General to surrender, so we will offer the same to you. Surrender and stop this madness and we will promise that we will spare you. You will be locked in prison but you will live. If you refuse, we can only guarantee you a quick death, even though you don't deserve it."

Arthas laughed again. "The only ones who will die today are you. Normally, I would offer you to surrender but your arrogance pisses me off. I'm not going to make you the same offer I made Sylvanas. You will die if you are dumb enough to get in my way." He lifted Frostmourne and pointed its tip at the royal couple, signalizing that he was dead serious about what he had said.

"We won't allow you to get to the Sunwell and do whatever you want to do with it. We're not going to let you turn your perverted, dirty ideas into reality. Turn back NOW. That's your last chance, Arthas," shouted Anasterian.

Arthas didn't respond to the old king, instead, he ordered Invincible to move forward slowly to provoke the king.

"You chose death, I see. You leave me no other choice then," said Anasterian with a dangerously quiet voice and started to cast a spell. His wife lifted her wand and started to do the same. Arthas didn't hesitate to wrap a green glowing barrier around his body which would protect him from any spell.

Anasterian's fireball and Melisandra's arcane blast were neutralized by the barrier that dissolved a few moments later. Arthas didn't hesitate to command his horse to move forward, taking a swing with his cursed runeblade. Anasterian saw the attack coming and jumped to the side, avoiding the hit at the last moment.

Melisandra sent another arcane blast at the death knight but he avoided it at the last moment. He rode back to the royal couple and attempted to attack the queen this time but she wrapped a barrier around her body that blocked the attack and protected her that way.

Arthas was unable to hide his frustration, causing small smiles on the lips of the royal couple. But the smiles vanished quickly as Invincible galloped towards them again. Arthas focus had fallen on the queen again because he had the impression that she was a bigger threat than her husband. He intended to kill her first before she would hit him with any of her spells. He was glad that Invincible was pretty fast, so hehad much better chances to dodge their spells.

He swung his sword after the queen but she teleported away at the last moment. Anasterian was not idle in the meantime and executed a precise swing with his sword, separating Invincible's forelegs. A painful neigh escaped the undead animal's lips as it collapsed, unseating Arthas in the process.

The death knight landed on the ground but got up pretty quickly. His face reflected pure anger. He was not amused that Anasterian had separated the forelegs of his dear horse. It hurt him to see Invincible suffering. The loyal animal tried to get up but that was impossible without its forelegs. Seeing Invincible like that made Arthas pretty angry. He swore to make the king pay for letting his dear horse suffer.

He ran towards the king but he got hit by a shock wave before he reached him. The shock wave sent him away and made him land hard on the ground. He hit his head hard but ignored the pain as best as he could. He gritted his teeth as he got up, rubbing the back of his head.

He noticed that blood stuck on his glove. It was his blood. He was bleeding. He was wounded, but it wasn't just his body that had gotten hurt. His ego too. He had expected to be invincible and invulnerable but the queen had just proved the opposite. He was not invulnerable. He was pretty angry and looking forward to making the queen pay for hurting him.

He turned his head, looked at a certain, still living person and received a nod from him. The man stepped next to Arthas, his sky-blue eyes rested on the death knight. "I found a way for you to prove your loyalty to me, Xenarion. Keep the queen busy while I take care of the king. If you do that, our pact is sealed."

The blond priest nodded and turned to the queen. His eye colour changed from blue to purple and his hands started to glow in the same colour. He was a normal priest, a servant of the light, but at the same time, he was also a shadow could use the light to heal and shadows to hurt others and that made him pretty powerful for a high elf.

Melisandra regarded the man with narrowed eyes. It was clearly visible that she couldn't believe that another quel'dorei willingly betrayed Quel'Thalas and its people. Dar'Khan Drathir had handed Arthas the three mooncyrstals and killed most members of the Council of Silvermoon. But then there was also this once famous priest who had been put in prison because of his crimes. He had been freed by someone and was now working for Arthas.

Melisandra couldn't know that Arthas went to the prison of Silvermoon and freed everyone who joined his forces voluntarily. Those who had refused to join him had been killed and raised. Their souls had been absorbed by Frostmourne and made the death knight stronger.

"I won't disappoint you, master," Xenarion responded and sent a void bolt at the queen who protected herself with a barrier at the last moment. He began to cast another spell but the queen countered. Not only had she negated his spell, but she had also made him unable to cast a spell within the next few seconds.

She took advantage of that and hit him with an arcane blast, throwing him away and wounding him. Xenarion got up, blood was flowing out of a wound in his chest and anger was reflected by his narrowed eyes. The high elf didn't hesitate to cast a different spell that purpose was to assault the queen's mind.

The queen pressed her hands on her sleeves as her head started to hurt pretty badly. The pain was so strong that she was unable to focus on countering her foe's spell. Painful cries escaped her lips but the pain didn't endure for too long. It stopped suddenly as Xenarion was lifted in the air and thrown back on the ground where he remained for a few moments before he got up.

Melisandra looked at her husband who was fighting Arthas in close combat. She wished she could help her husband but she knew she had to take care of the traitorous priest first. She would have to kill him before she could support her husband.

She cast a frost blast, freezing the priest's hands. That way, Xenarion was unable to cast a spell and there was no chance for him of getting free alone. He was not a mage, so he couldn't melt the ice. He couldn't crush the ice with another technique because the risk was too high that he would seriously hurt his hands or crush them in the process. Without his magic he was defenceless.

Melisandra didn't hesitate to cast another spell. She showed no mercy for the traitor who had already betrayed their people one time in the past, sending a sharp and long ice lance at him. The ice lance pierced through his chest and his heart.

The traitor spat a large amount of blood out and collapsed. He didn't stand up this time because he was dead. Melisandra didn't feel bad about killing him. He had let Sylvanas' brother die sixteen years ago. He had let him bleed to death instead of helping him. And now that he had betrayed the high elves again, he deserved to die.

Melisandra turned around, looking at her husband who was still fighting Arthas in melee combat. The two runeblades were clashing, their wielders were fighting fiercely but it was clear that Arthas had the upper hand. The old king was weaker than the death knight despite the effect of the potion he had consumed before Arthas' arrival at the Sunwell Plateau. He wouldn't be victorious in the end, Melisandra was sure of that. Fortunately, she had gotten rid of her foe so that she was able to help her husband.

The two runeblades clashed again but unlike the last times, Felo'melorn didn't withstand this time. It broke in two pieces. A pleased smile appeared on Arthas' lips as the king's eyes widened in surprise. He recognized disbelief and shock in Anasterian's face.

The high king would have never expected that the cursed runeblade would destroy the blade that had belonged to his family since it had been forged. Half of the sword fell on the ground, the other half remained in the king's shaking hands. The effect of the potion was diminishing much faster than he had expected.

But Anasterian felt no fear. He didn't stop fighting, burring the remains of the blade in Arthas' left upper thigh. A loud painful cry escaped the former prince's lips but the pain he felt didn't stop him from striking back. He managed to sever the king's right leg, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. The screams that came out of Melisandra's mouth were much louder than the painful cry of her husband.

Anasterian laid on the floor, a puddle of blood formed beneath him. His widened eyes rested on the former prince who wrapped an anti-magic-shell around his body and blocked Melisandra's next spell. He pulled the rest of Felo'melorn out of his upper thigh and looked at the old king one last time before he thrust Frostmourne through his chest, ending his suffering and his life at the same time. Anasterian's eyes stopped glowing and his body became limp after the last sign of life had left it.

Arthas intended to absorb his soul but he was hit by an arcane blast that caused him to stagger backwards before he was able to do that. He was hit by a shock wave that sent him away. Melisandra lifted up her husband's body, the separated leg and the broken sword with a spell and made them follow her before she stepped through the entrance to the palace that had been built around the Sunwell.

Arthas ignored the wound and followed her after he had ordered a few cultists to take care of Invincible. The wound was slowing him down but he didn't care. The undead followed him and even passed him, pouncing on the few dozen defenders that were left in the palace. They fought hard but they had no chance against the superior number of undead creatures. They died and most of them were raised by Arthas' necromancers.

One of the cultists used their necromantic powers to heal the wound in Arthas' upper thigh, allowing him to walk as fast as he usually could. Arthas followed the undead creatures that made their way through the palace and killed everyone who crossed their way. Arthas came to the end of the long corridor and entered the bordering room, noticing a significant aura that was radiated by something. The further he got, the more convinced he got that the origin of that aura was the Sunwell itself.

The Sunwell, a large circular shaped fount of mystical power, was in the middle of the room. Arthas spotted Anasterian's corpse behind it. Melisandra was floating above it, half of her wand was dipped in the Sunwell. Her eyes were no longer glowing blue but golden instead. There were golden shining tattoos on her face, neck and chest. These tattoos could be seen on every piece of skin that was not covered by clothes. Her usual brown hair also shined golden.

Arthas sensed that her body radiated the same aura. He had a bad feeling about what this would mean. He turned his head, looking at Dar'Khan whose piercing blue eyes widened. He was surprised to see her in this state. He was as surprised as Arthas was but unlike the death knight, he knew what was going on.

Arthas wanted answers but Dar'Khan was dead before he was able to tell him what he knew. Melisandra had used the power of the Sunwell to lift him in the air, throw him against the ceiling and then back at the floor. Dar'Khan's body was crushed and his undead life had ended. He was nothing more than a motionless, broken corpse.

The queen had just killed the second traitor who had betrayed her kingdom that had been left in ruins by the death knight and his undead creatures. He had killed most of her people and her beloved husband. He had devastated a kingdom that had lasted for nearly seven millenniums. It had been founded by Dath'Remar Sunstrider and his wife. They had reigned for thousands of years before the reign had been passed to the next generation. Melisandra knew that she might be the last ruler of Quel'Thalas.

Melisandra assumed she wouldn't survive the encounter with Arthas but she wanted to make him pay for the crimes he had committed before she would die. Her goal was to kill him and weaken the undead army that way. The undead army wouldn't know what to do without a leader, so she had made it her mission to kill the former prince of Lordaeron.

Arthas was visibly surprised by her power. He wouldn't have expected that she had access to so much power that she could lift Dar'Khan in the air and throw him against the ceiling. He would have never expected that she could kill Dar'Khan without touching him or hitting him with a spell. She had not been as powerful as she was now when she had fought him outside the palace. He assumed that she was draining power from the Sunwell. This assumption would explain why her hair and eyes were as golden as the Sunwell and why her wand wasdipped in it.

The Sunwell had empowered her to protect itself. It gave her enough power to stop the death knight and prevent his evil plans. Arthas guessed that the wand functioned as a transmitter that provided her with power. He also assumed that the transmission would stop if he would pull the wand out. There were no gargoyles or other flying beasts in the room that could get the wand for him. He had to get to the centre of the Sunwell and take it by himself.

Arthas sprinted towards the Sunwell but he was thrown away and collided with the wall behind him. His entire body hurt as he got up but he was able to bear the pain and tried it again. A shock wave hit him and sent him away for the second time. The fallen prince needed much longer to get up this time but then he found out that he was unable to move. His feet were not frozen to the floor but he was still unable to move. An incredibly strong force prevented him from moving.

His blue eyes landed on Melisandra whose lips were moving. She was muttering phrases as she cast the next spell which threw Arthas against the opposite wall. The death knight tried to get up by every means but the same force pressed him against the floor, causing unbearable pain to him. He felt his bones aching, a loud cry escaped his lips as his right arm broke suddenly. Frostmourne was lifted up in the air and thrown to the other side of the room.

The pain the fallen prince felt got much worse over time, his right leg broke and blood flowed out of freshly caused wounds in his torso. Arthas realized that she was killing him slowly and he was unable to do anything about it. Melisandra was too strong while she drew power from the Sunwell.

He realized that the source of power he had come for would be his undoing if he wouldn't do anything about it. He wished he could do anything but he was powerless and he hated that feeling. He hated to be powerless. He had felt powerless when the plague had corrupted and killed his people. He had picked up Frostmourne to kill Mal'Ganis and to never feel powerless again. But there he was, heavily injured and close to death while his cursed runeblade was far out of his reach.

All he could do was to look at the queen who was still muttering phrases. Blood was flowing out of her nose and her skin colour had become grey. Her eyes, her hair and the tattoos still glowed golden. The more time passed, the more blood flowed out of her nose and even out of the corners of her eyes.

Arthas realized that her body was not accustomed to the seemingly unlimited power. It was not designed to be able to use so much power. He realized that the power she was using to kill him would kill her in the end. The power will be his undoing but also hers.

Arthas felt his other leg broke under the pressure the inconceivable force exerted on his body. He coughed out blood and his chest began to hurt massively. He was sure he wouldn't hold out for long. He would die soon if nobody would help him. There were no undead creatures in the room because Melisandra had killed all of them. Nobody was there to help Arthas.

Numerous thoughts went through Arthas' mind. He thought of the events of the past weeks, of his campaign, of Tichondrius and the task he had received from him. He thought of the wicked necromancer he had to bring back to life and of the urn of his father. Then he thought of his father and finally of Jaina. He was wondering what Jaina would say and do if she would see him now. He was wondering if she would feel sorry for him or if she would be happy about his end. He was wondering if she would try to save him or let him die.

He was about to silently apologize to her when he suddenly realized that the force no longer held him down. His body stopped hurting and his head no longer felt as if it would explode the next moment. He was unable to get up because his legs were still broken. A group of cultists entered the room, walked over to him and started to treat his wounds, healing his broken bones first.

Arthas looked at Melisandra, noticing that she was no longer floating above the Sunwell. She was on all fours next to the Sunwell and was spitting out blood. A banshee was hovering next to her and held her wand in her spectral hands which she had broken in two pieces.

Melisandra's hair had become white and the glowing tattoos had disappeared. The power of the Sunwell was like a double-edged sword. It gave but also took in return. It had given Melisandra the power to kill the death knight but it had taken her life essence in return. She could have killed the death knight but she had decided to make his death as painful as possible. If she would have killed him immediately as she had done with Dar'Khan Drathir, she would have completed the mission she had given herself.

But she had allowed grief and thirst for vengeance to overwhelm her, and now she had to pay the price for not having been able to control herself. She hated herself for not killing him when she had gotten the chance. She regretted that she didn't kill him immediately. She was mad at herself that she hadn't been able to control herself.

She wished she could kill him at this very moment but she was no longer powerful enough to do that. She felt too weak. Her power was leaving her. She was unable to cast any spells because she had no mana left. She was unable to drain power from the Sunwell. She was defenceless and couldn't stop the death knight from walking over to the other side of the room to pick up Frostmourne.

Melisandra focused the last remains of her physical strength and crawled over to her dead husband. She collapsed next to him but managed to pull herself closer so that she was able to press a kiss on his lips. Tears ran down her cheeks as she regarded his motionless body. He was dead. Arthas had murdered him and now he would murder her too. She looked at the butcher, noticing that he was coming closer and closer.

Arthas stopped next to the banshee and nodded at her, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. "You served your master well, Verena. Now leave the palace and kill the remaining living. Kill as many as you can."

Verena nodded. "As you wish, my master." She didn't hesitate to fly out of the room, leaving Arthas alone with Melisandra and the cultists.

Arthas' gaze fell on the heavily injured queen. "Now it's your turn to die."


	15. The Harbour

Kelrian's eyes widened as he caught sight of the harbour. The situation there was worse than he had expected. Much worse. Half of the boats had either been destroyed or were still burning. Some boats had already been put to sea while most of the ones who hadn't been destroyed were still docking. Not all boats on the sea were completely filled with refugees. There were a few, which were only filled up to half with high elves. Some of the fleeing people had been too egoistic to wait for others and had set off before the last seats could have been taken.

The high elves were stressed and overtaxed by the horrible situation and lots of them were panicking. What they saw in front of their eyes was horrible. The undead were slaughtering their way through the lines of remaining defenders who fought tooth and nail to buy as much time as possible for the civilians. They tried to hold out as long as possible to give the fleeing, panicking people enough time to get into the boats.

It didn't look good for them. More and more undead were breaking through the rows and pounced on the civilians who weren't able to defend themselves. Not everyone who died had a quick death. Some were still alive while ghouls feasted on their bodies.

Their screams couldn't be overheard. Limbs were separated, heads were torn off and innards were spread over the ground. The ground was covered with a sea of blood. Corpses were scattered everywhere. Some corpses kept lying there, some of them were burnt by the defenders but most of them were raised by the necromancers of the Cult of the Damned.

It was only a matter of time until the undead would break through the last lines of defenders. The undead would overwhelm the last defence and kill the innocent inhabitants of Quel'Thalas sooner or later. Kelrian had the bad feeling that most of the remaining high elves will die and only a small portion will survive.

Kelrian didn't know if his children, Camillia and Lyndia were already on the boats. He didn't know if they were safe on the boats, still alive but on the docks or already dead. He knew it was suicide to rush through the army of the undead to reach the harbour but he had no other choice. He had no mana potions left and not enough mana to create a portal to the harbour. All he could do was to try to fight his way through the undead.

Fortunately for him, he was not alone. Grief was reflected by Elena's eyes as she stood next to him and regarded the horrible scene. "We won't reach the harbour alive," she said and averted the gaze from the slaughter, looking back at Kelrian who made a grim facial expression.

"The harbour is our only chance to survive. At the beginning of Arthas' campaign, it would have been fine for me to lose my life. I wouldn't have shrunk back from sacrificing my life to save others. I still want to fight for the remaining civilians and try to save as many as possible. But I realised that we won't help anyone if we die before reaching the remaining inhabitants. We will only strengthen the rank of that bastard. I don't want to die. I don't want my children to become orphans. I don't want them to live their lives without parents. But most importantly, I want to save them. I have to reach the harbour and find out if they are still here or if they are already on the boats. I have to make sure they survive."

His gaze wandered to the boats, noticing that another one had set sails in the meantime. It was too far away, so he couldn't recognize if it was full or not. He could only hope that it was. He also hoped that the remaining members of his family were on this boat or on the others that had already set sail.

Elena put her hands on his cheeks, turning his head so that he had no other choice than to look at her. "There might be a way for us to reach the harbour without having to fight our way through the army of the undead."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, a curious look appeared on his face. "Really?"

The woman with the light-pink dyed hair nodded and pointed in one direction. Kelrian's gaze followed her finger, landing on a dragonhawk which had lost its master. It was surrounded by several creatures that were trying to kill it and feast on its flesh. The majestic fire-red creature was slightly injured but it was still able to move quickly. It raised in the air and burn the creatures with flames that came out of its beak. The creatures turned to ashes before they were able to do anything.

The dragonhawk remained in the air for a few moments before it landed and looked around as if it was searching for its master. The creature's wings were massive, it had no legs but a very long tail. It may have a beak but its head didn't look similar to the head of a bird. It looked majestic but it was also a very dangerous creature even though it had been tamed. Elena was convinced that it would be pretty useful in killing the undead.

"You want us to fly on a dragonhawk?"

"It's the only way for us to reach the harbour without getting killed by the undead," responded Elena.

"I never learned how to ride a dragonhawk," admitted Kelrian, feeling ashamed a little. He was a little mad at himself that he had never considered learning how to ride these majestic creatures. They would be able to reach the harbour if Kelrian would know how to ride them.

"Good for you that I learned how to ride them," responded Elena and gave him a small smile.

Kelrian's face reflected surprise. "You know how to ride a dragonhawk?"

The ranger nodded. "I do. I learned it months before I went to the entrance exam. I thought I couldn't hurt to be able to tame and ride them for the case that the orcs and trolls would attack us again one day. Or anyone else. It feels fantastic to fly on them and glide with them through the air. Anyway, we should go to it before it decides to fly away. It is our only chance to reach the boats alive."

"You are right," Kelrian responded after a few seconds.

"Let's go before it's too late."

Kelrian nodded and followed Elena. They ran down the hill they had been standing on, followed the small path and came to the creature who was fighting off creatures that had come out of nowhere. Elena fired her last remaining arrows at the undead creatures while Kelrian went in close combat because he had no arrows left. They killed every undead creature, knowing they wouldn't stay dead for long if a necromancer or Arthas would show up and raise them.

Fortunately for them, the dragonhawk took care of the corpses and burned them. Dragonhawks were very smart creatures, so the rangers assumed it knew that the fallen undead would return if their bodies would still be intact. The winged creature regarded its helpers curiously, realizing quickly that no danger came from them. They weren't undead nor were they working for the death knight.

Kelrian noticed that the creature was nervous and the undead were the reason for that. Kelrian had witnessed that even lynxes, who were known as the deadliest and most fearsome wild creatures in Quel'Thalas had started to flee to the north before the undead army had even reached the first gate. They had sensed that something was wrong about the undead and that danger emanatedfrom them.

Elena approached the majestic beast carefully, signalizing it that she was friendly. It was a tamed dragonhawk, it knew that it could trust high elves, so it didn't shrink back or signalize Elena to stay back. It allowed her to approach and caress its head. The dragonhawk lowered its head eventually, allowing Elena to climb on its back. She climbed into the saddle, waiting until Kelrian sat behind her.

She turned her head, looking at him. "Are you ready?"

Kelrian nodded. "I am."

"You should wrap your arms around my waist and hold tight on me if you don't want to fall off."

Kelrian did as she said, ignoring the weird feeling that came from his stomach. He had no idea why he felt so weird at this very moment. Maybe because he was hugging another woman from behind who was not Sylvanas. Somehow it felt wrong for him to touch another woman since Sylvanas died days ago. But he had no other choice than do what Elena had suggested if he wanted to make it through the flight.

He had flown on dragonhawks in the past. He had hired dragonhawk riders from time to time to bring him to certain places. Flying on a dragonhawk was not new for him. Nevertheless, he was a bit nervous and he had no idea why.

He was worried. A lot of things could go wrong. The beast could get killed in flight or seriously injured so that it would have to make an emergency landing. Gargoyles could appear out of nowhere, try to grab them and let them fall and hit the ground. The nerubians could bring the winged beast down with their sticky nets which would mean Kelrian's and Elena's ends. But they had no other choice than flying on the beast if they wanted to reach the harbour alive.

Elena made sure that they were firmly in the saddle before she took the reins that were still attached to the beast, signalizing the dragonhawk to get in the air. It obeyed her without hesitation and flew in the direction Elena wanted.

Kelrian had mixed feelings during that ride. It excited him to fly on a dragonhawk but at the same time, he was worried. He was a little afraid of falling off somehow. He feared that someone would bring the dragonhawk down and kill it and them in the process. His stomachrebelled. He felt unwell at first but the longer they were in the air, the more he got used to it. After a few minutes, he was no longer afraid of flying.

They reached the harbour eventually, noticing that more undead had advanced. A lot more defenders had been killed in the meantime and most of them had been raised. More civilians had been killed, but on the other hand, many had gotten on the boats. Five of the remaining twelve boats had set off and moved towards the ships in the sea.

The dragonhawk spew fire, igniting several dozen undead creatures. The fire spread out quickly, turning many creatures to ashes but the flames were extinguished quickly by the cultists. They were firing spells at the winged beast which barely managed to dodge the first few spells.

But the winged beast was not able to dodge the second wave of spells. It got hit multiple times, lost height and fell into the water eventually. Kelrian and Elena managed to jump off before it broke through the surface. They couldn't do anything for it. The paralyzed body of the winged creature sank quickly, the water around it turned red. Its painful cries were still ringing in Kelrian's ears even though he could no longer hear it. He and Elena mourned for the creature for a few seconds before they regained focus.

They were not far away from the landing stage, so they swam to it and climbed up the wooden ladder, getting out of the cold water as fast as possible. Kelrian wished he could dry their clothes with a spell but he didn't have enough mana left nor did he have the time for that. There were other things that were more important than fighting the cold. He had to find his relatives if they weren't on the boats already. He had to make sure they would get out alive. If necessary, he would give his life to save his children. He wouldn't hesitate to do that.

His gaze wandered over the gathered crowd that was waiting to get into the boats. Kelrian didn't need to look twice to figure out that the boats will not be able to accommodate everyone who was waiting. Not everyone will manage to get off the island. Many will die. At least there were mages who had opened a few portals, so people could be transported to different cities. Ironforge, Stormwind and even Dalaran.

But the mages looked pretty exhausted, which meant that they wouldn't be able to hold the portals up for long. Kelrian wished he could help them but he was too exhausted to do that. He wouldn't be able to keep a portal open for more than a few moments.

Kelrian's gaze wandered around again, his heart skipped a beat as he spotted Raesh in the crowd. He was near a boat but it would take some time until it would be his turn to get on the boat. Most people were pushing him aside on their way to the first line. That way, Raesh wouldn't be able to get on any boat before they would be full. Kelrian knew he had to do something. He had to make sure his son would get on a boat, then he would have to search the missing members of his family.

He paved his way through the crowd, making use of his muscles from time to time to prevent that someone would push him aside. The worst that could happen would be to fall to the ground and be trampled by the panicking citizens.

Some of the Farstriders, who weren't fighting, tried to pave ways through the crowd so that women and children could get on the boat first. Even though the crowd was in panic, they allowed most women and children to get on the boats first. There were only a few selfish assholes who only thought about themselves. Someone of them blocked the way for the parents and their young children, not allowing them to get to the first line.

Kelrian could only shake his head about them and their behaviour but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He had to get his children to safety first, then he could help others. He had promised Sylvanas to take care of their family and he intended to keep his promise. He intended to do everything in his power to save them.

Kelrian reached his son eventually, putting a hand on his shoulder. Raesh startled but sighed out in relief when he saw his father. "Father, you are here," he said, sounding more surprised than he had intended to.

"I am. We don't have time to talk. We have to get you on the boat. Where is your sister?"

The teenager shook his head slowly and shrugged, sadness was reflected in his eyes. "I have no idea. She was right behind me when we arrived at the harbour but then I lost her somehow. I shouted her name and searched for her but I didn't find her. I'm sorry, father."

Kelrian stared at son. Raesh looked so similar to his mother. Whenever looked at him he was reminded of Sylvanas and felt sad. This time, he only felt sad for a few moments because he managed to catch himself and regain focus. "Everything will be alright, my son."

Raesh nodded hesitantly.

Kelrian's gaze landed on Elena. "Make sure my son gets on the boat. I will search for the others in the meantime."

Elena and Raesh wanted to say something in return but Kelrian had already disappeared into the crowd before they were able to respond to him. They had no chance to protest.

"I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Elena. Raesh didn't respond to her, letting his gaze wander through the crowd. He regarded the undead for a few moments, averting his gaze before his stomach would turn up.

The sight was horrible. Some of the creatures were literally tearing off some defenders to shreds. Not even elders, women or children were spared. The undead were merciless. They kept fighting and fighting no matter if they lost arms or legs. Beheading them was the only option to stop them for the moment but there were enough necromancers who could reattach their heads and raise them again.

The mages and rangers tried to burn as many corpses as possible but their efforts didn't change much. Too many fell and way too many were raised and forced to attack their former comrades. The mages and rangers were not able to burn every fallen defender who had given their life to buy the civilians as much time as possible. They wouldn't shrink back from sacrificing themselves for the survival of their race. It was their duty to do so and they would never think of breaking their code of honour and disregard their duties.

Elena grabbed Raesh by his arm and dragged him towards the boat. She managed to push him through the crowd that was gathered on the landing stage. They reached the boat which was almost full already. Elena waited until the next person had gotten on it and then pushed him forward so that he had no other choice than to get on it too. Raesh wanted to get out but Elena stepped in front of him, preventing him from doing that.

"My father and my sister are not here. I'm not leaving without them."

Elena shook her head slightly. "You are not leaving the boat. It was difficult enough to get you on it, so you will stay on the boat and leave the island."

"But..."

Elena interrupted him. "Your father and your sister will take another boat. You will meet them again soon. But right now, you need to get to safety. I can't allow you to get hurt if you wait for them on the landing stage. Your safety is very important to your father, so do him a favour and stay on the boat. There are enough other boats they can take."

Raesh didn't protest. He just stared at the crowd and let his gaze wander as if he was searching for his father and sister. Elena told the sailor to set off once the boat was full. The young man obeyed and told the passengers to take the oars and start rowing. The passengers obeyed and started without hesitation.

Raesh still looked worried as the boat moved further away from the harbour. He hadn't planned on leaving the island without his family. He had wanted to stay and wait for his father and his twin sister but Elena had put him on the boat and left him no other choice than to leave with the other refugees. He could only hope that his father, his sister and his other relatives would get on the remaining boats and leave the island too. He didn't want to lose any of them.

He had heard rumours about his mother who had been killed by Arthas Menethil and turned into a ghost-like creature. He hoped these rumours weren't true. He didn't want to lose his mother nor did he want her to serve the evil human in death. He wanted her to be alive. He hoped she would remain dead and wouldn't be forced to serve her murderer if she was really dead.

He wanted nothing more than his family's safety. He didn't want to lose them, not after he had already lost his mother. A few days ago, he had still believed she would make it out alive but what he had seen in the past days had convinced him of the opposite. He no longer believed that she was still alive. He was just hoping she had found peace and wouldn't have to serve anyone.

His gaze rested on the harbour while the boat moved away and reached the ships eventually. The coast of Quel'Danas was too shallow for ships to dock. Their captains had left them in the sea with their anchors dropped so that the wind wouldn't be able to bring them away.

The boat stopped in front of one of the large ships. A wooden ladder was lowered down so that the survivors could get on the ship one by one. Women and children were allowed to get on the ship first so Raesh didn't have to wait for too long. He was the fifth person to get on the ship. A female sailor helped him to climb over the railing and told him to wait in the middle of the deck. He did as he was told.

He noticed that survivors from other boats were also getting on the same ship. His eyes widened as he recognized a familiar person who was not far away from him. It was a male half-elf with long blond hair whose armour was damaged and bloodstained. His left forearm was dressed in a provisional bandage, so was half of his head. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to fight with these wounds. That was the reason why he had retreated and gotten on a boat instead of continuing to fight the undead.

Raesh stepped to him and hugged him. "I'm glad you're alive, Arator."

His cousin put his healthy hand on Raesh's back and caressed it. "So am I."


	16. The End Of The Line

Kelrian's gaze wandered. He looked around in panic, realizing that the undead would break through the remaining rows of defenders sooner or later. There were too many undead out there and too few Silvermoon Guardians, Farstriders and other soldiers who fought the undead bravely. More and more high elves soldiers were dying but most of the civilians had survived so far. They were gathered on the landing stages and waited that they could get on one of the remaining rowing boats.

There were only three left but thedeparted empty rowing boats, other refugees had used, were returning with the help of magic. That way it was possible that each of the remaining civilians could be evacuated but only if the defenders would be able to buy them enough time.

It was only a matter of time until the undead would break through the rows and pounce on the scared refugees. Kelrian was glad that no gargoyles were in the harbour's near. They would grab citizens, carry them away and drop them elsewhere. Many would die before the undead would break through the rows if gargoyles would be there. Fortunately, they weren't.

Instead of them, they were other creatures Kelrian had never seen before. They looked like skeletons with long robes, chains were rotating around their bodies and they were hovering above the ground. Kelrian had heard that the mages of Dalaran called them liches. These liches seemed pretty powerful and deadly. They were able to cast spells. Fire spells, frost spells and even arcane spells. But they were also able to use necromantic spells and dark magic. They were able to raise the fallen and that was a big problem.

The mages and spell casters focused the liches, but they were able to protect themselves with barriers that held out too long for the defenders' liking. A few liches were destroyed by the spell casters but there were still too many of them. Too many undead were attacking the harbour.

Kelrian was still busy searching for his family while more and more defenders died and were raised. He had already checked the first two landing stages and the boats docking there. He was on the way to the third as he heard a loud scream. He turned his head, his eyes widened when he saw that a dozen undead had managed to break through the last defence row. They were running towards the second landing stage and nobody was in the near to stop them.

Kelrian knew that they would kill the inhabitants but there was nothing he could do for them. He knew it was his duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves but he had no mana left and he wouldn't be able to deal with a dozen undead at the same time. They would kill him and then the civilians. There was nothing he could do for them. He felt bad about abandoning them but he had to find his children, his niece and her mother. He had promised Sylvanas to make sure they would survive. He had made that promise and he didn't want to break it.

He ignored the bad feeling that was spreading in his body, ignored his pounding heart and rushed to the third landing stage. There were dozens of civilians who were waiting for the return of the empty boat. Kelrian looked at it, assuming that the civilians would have to wait for a few minutes before it would arrive.

The gathered people were worried, afraid of the undead or panicked. They wanted to leave the island as fast as possible but they couldn't do it yet. They were impatient but there was nothing they could do but wait. Panic and fear were written all over their faces.

Kelrian took a closer look at the gathered persons. He didn't spot his daughter or any other member of his family among them. He was about to walk away as he heard another loud scream.

He looked in the direction where the scream came from, his eyes widened as he spotted Camillia and Lyndia who were running away from a banshee. Kelrian didn't hesitate to run over to them, ramming his sword through the banshee's chest. He stared into her eyes as he pulled the sword out, beheading the creature before she was able to stun him with her shrieks.

A moment later, a ghoul pounced on him and intended to bite him. Kelrian tried to push the ghoul's jaw away with his hand but the foul, ugly and bad smelling creature was stronger than he had expected. The ghoul pushed his hand away and managed to bite him in the left shoulder. A loud, painful scream escaped his lips. His screams became louder as the ghoul buried its sharp teeth deeper in his flesh.

Kelrian gritted his teeth, pulled a dagger from his belt and rammed it right between the ghoul's eyes. The ghoul pulled away and tried to bite Kelrian in the neck but it was beheaded before it was able to do that. Kelrian pressed his hand on his bleeding shoulder, looking at the person who had saved him. It was Turalyon whose armour had seen better days. Black and dark red blood stuck on it and on his runeblade.

"We need to get them on the boats," said the human paladin after he had helped Kelrian up. "Make sure they don't die while I search for your daughter and my son."

Kelrian clasped Turalyon's forearm, staring into his eyes. "I will protect them by any means."

The middle-aged man regarded him for a few moments, wishing him good luck before he ran towards the approaching undead, killing three of them with a single precise swing. Kelrian turned around and regarded Sylvanas' niece and her mother. They looked scared but they didn't seem to be injured.

"We need to get to the landing stage. You don't have to wait until the boat's return for too long, so you can get off the island as soon as possible," Kelrian said and pointed at the third landing stage from which he had come from. The dark-skinned human and her daughter nodded and began to run towards it. Kelrian followed them, letting his eyes wander to look out for any undead creature that may come out of nowhere and attack them. Fortunately, no creature appeared, so they managed to arrive at the landing stage without incidents.

Kelrian looked at the boat, assuming that it would arrive in two minutes. Two minutes were too long for the Ranger-Lieutenant's liking but there was nothing he could do to speed up the process. His mana reserves hadn't recovered yet, which meant he was still unable to cast any spell. All he could do was to wait until the boat will arrive.

His gaze fell on Camillia and Lyndia who were hugging each other tightly. Lyndia's head rested on her mother's chest who ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. The middle-aged woman was much paler than usual, her hands were shaking a little and she looked like she hadn't slept properly for days.

Kelrian understood how she felt. Like him, Camillia had seen horrible things over the past weeks. She had survived the purge of Stratholme where tens of thousands of innocents had been brutally murdered by the same man who had murdered Sylvanas. She had witnessed how innocent men, women and even children had been killed by Arthas and his men or had been bitten to death by ghouls and other undead creatures.

Kelrian assumed that she couldn't forget what she had seen. He assumed that these memories were haunting her in the form of horrible nightmares. He was sure that she must be feeling pretty bad. He had had terrible nightmares in the past, so he knew what it was like to be haunted by them. After the first siege of Zul'Aman fifteen years ago, the first nightmare had occurred.

He had seen horrible things during the battle. Lots of his comrades had been burned by the dragons of the Red Dragonflight who had been enslaved by the orcs back then. What he had seen there had left marks on him. The nightmares had haunted him for a while and he hadn't been able to get rid of them in a natural way. He had been able to make the nightmares disappear forever only with the help of a special recipe. He wished he could give Camillia something that would make her feel better but he had nothing with him at the moment.

Kelrian sighed out in relief as the boat finally docked at the landing stage. There were so many people in front of them that he feared Lyndia and Camillia may not be able to get on the boat. He was about to pave a way through the crowd for them as his ears recognized loud, deafening roars. He turned around, spotting the massive abomination that was charging at the crowd. The people screamed loudly and panicked. Each of them tried to get on the boat quickly, which resulted in many of them bumping into each other. Some of them fell to the ground, others were accidentally pushed in the water while most of them got on the boat.

Kelrian pulled his sword from his belt, intending to attack the abomination if it would come any closer. Fortunately for him, the creature's feet were frozen to the ground and its body was set on fire. Orange flames consumed its body, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, spotting Magister Rommath who was sending dozens of undead in the air with a massive shock wave. Kelrian also spotted Zendarin in his near who froze the feet of several creatures to the ground and let sharp ice splinters rain down on them.

Kelrian's gaze fell on six ghouls and three skeletons that were coming closer. He was the only person on the landing stage who had a weapon. He wouldn't be able to kill all nine creatures, not without magic. He turned around, pushing Camillia on the boat. The dark-skinned woman nearly fell but a woman with green-dyed hair caught her at the last moment.

Kelrian turned to Lyndia and intended to grab her to push her on the boat too but he was thrown away by a spell before he was able to do that. A painful hiss escaped his lips as he got up slowly. He spotted the lich that floated over the ground at the beginning of the landing stage. It cast another spell, hitting Kelrian again. He was thrown away once again and landed in the water. He was stunned for a few moments and sank a little. But then he got control over his body back and started to swim towards the landing stage.

He knew he wouldn't be able to reach the stage in time, so he hoped that the half-elf would get on the boat before it would depart. But Lyndia was too shocked to move. She had no control over her body and could only stand there and watch as these horrible creatures came closer.

She didn't hear her mother's shouts. She didn't notice her mother's attempts to gain her attention. Camillia screamed her daughter's name, telling her to get on the boat but the half-elf didn't react. The undead were coming closer and closer but she didn't react. She was too scared. Too scared to move.

Tears formed in Camillia's eyes, she stepped forward and intended to leave the boat that was about to depart but the elf with the green-dyed hair held her back. She did that because she knew Camillia wouldn't be able to save the young teenager. The undead had already reached her and there was nothing her mother could do. She would only die if she would jump on the landing stage. She tried in vain to get free but a male elf had stepped to her and helped the female to hold her back and save her life that way.

Camillia was unable to get free. All she could do was to cry while watching her daughter who got surrounded by ghouls and skeletons. But they didn't pounce on her and bite her to death as she had expected. They waited because they had been ordered to spare her. The man who had ordered them to not kill her stepped onto the landing stage and approached her.

His hair was pale blond, his blue eyes emitted an unnatural glow and his skin was very pale, almost white. He was one of them, an undead creature who served Arthas Menethil. He wore a priest robe that was covered by his own blood and the blood of the defenders he had slain. Kelrian's eyes widened as he recognized that man. He was no other than Xenarion. The man he had thought to be his father for most of his life.

The man, who had mistreated his mother and considered him as a piece of shit and a worthless creature, was no longer in his prison cell and served Arthas in death instead. Kelrian was wondering if Arthas had just killed and raised him or if Xenarion had joined him voluntarily. He knew Xenarion pretty well, so he assumed that Xenarion had joined the death knight voluntarily. Kelrian couldn't know that his assumption was right.

Arthas Menethil had offered Xenarion freedom and power if he would serve him. The priest had accepted his offer without thinking twice. He had been killed by Melisandra Sunstrider and then had been raised by Arthas Menethil after he had defeated the queen. Xenarion was much more powerful than before and the hatred he felt for the man who was not his son but the son of his former wife had been increased with his rebirth.

He gave Kelrian a mischievous grin as he came out of the water. Kelrian was standing on the other side of the landing stage, his sky-blue eyes were narrowed and rested on the former priest. Xenarion stepped to Lyndia and wrapped an arm around her neck, pulling her closer.

Kelrian's eyes narrowed further. "Let her go," he shouted demandingly.

Xenarion's voice sounded like a cracking crypt door. "Why should I do that, _my_ _son?_ My new master ordered me to kill as many living beings as possible and he promised me to reward me for each Windrunner I kill. The more I kill, the more power I receive from him."

"Power? That's what you are hungering for? You betray our people again for the promise of power? What is wrong with you?"

The undead man grinned. "Our people locked me in prison for sixteen years and they would have let me rot there. They would have never freed me. I would have stayed in prison until the end of my days. I would have stayed there for thousands of years and no one would have cared. No one would have tried to free me. Nobody cared for me, so I don't care for anybody in return. That's just fair, don't you think? An eye for an eye."

"Nobody cared for you because you gave them no reason to do that. You mistreated my mother and forced her to do things she didn't want to do. You manipulated my older siblings and turned them against me. You betrayed our people by convincing the Horde to attack Windrunner Village and Windrunner Spire and then you let Lirath Windrunner die instead of helping him. You are a monster and now you even look like one," hissed Kelrian.

The ranger had lost his runeblade as the lich had thrown him into the sea, which meant that he only had his sword left he could use to defend himself. He was alone, he was unable to use magic and there were too many undead creatures. It was not looking good for him but that didn't worry him. He didn't break out in panic and remained calm instead.

He made a few steps forward but stopped as Xenarion tightened his grip around Lyndia's neck, causing that a few painful noises escaped her lips. Tears were running down the teenagers' cheeks. She had realized she would die. She didn't want to die but there was nothing she could do to prevent that. She had no weapon which she could use to defend herself. Even if she had one, she wouldn't be able to kill the former priest and his minions.

"Let her go, Xenarion. This is about you and me. She has nothing to do with the conflict we had in the past. She is innocent."

Horrible sounding laughter escaped Xenarion's lips. "I think you haven't heard me correctly. My master promised me to make me stronger for each Windrunner I kill. She is a Windrunner, isn't she? Isn't she the daughter of that looser who died sixteen years ago? She is, right?"

Xenarion's mischievous grin became wider as he noticed that Kelrian's eyes narrowed. Seeing the very angry face of the ranger satisfied him. Kelrian was speechless because he didn't know what he should say in return. He knew Xenarion would kill her if he would come closer. But he would kill her if he would do nothing. He would kill her anyway, no matter what he would do.

Kelrian would be able to save her if he would be able to use spells but he had no mana left. He was powerless. Useless. There was nothing he could do for her. There was nothing he could do to stop Xenarion and prevent the inevitable.

Kelrian turned his head a little, noticing that the boat was already out of his range. He wouldn't be able to jump on it to save himself. He was not able to save Lyndia either. He was powerless and he hated that.

"I assume you are asking yourself how I know that she is the niece of the whore you once called your wife. Dar'Khan informed me about her descent. You can thank him for that. Without his tip, I wouldn't have a reason to kill her. On the other hand, I assume it is better for her if she dies by my hand than being torn to pieces by ghouls. I can't imagine a worse death than being eaten alive. I do her a favour that way." He grinned at Kelrian once again.

The hatred that was reflected by the Ranger-Lieutenant's eyes amused him. Xenarion enjoyed making others suffer. He enjoyed making Kelrian suffer. He enjoyed making anyone who had lived their lives and didn't care about him while he had been locked in prison and suffered there for sixteen years suffer.

Kelrian tried to appear as dangerous as possible but he was unable to impress or scare the freshly raised man. Xenarion found his attempts amusing and didn't consider him as a threat. He was curious what Kelrian would do to save the half-elf.

Kelrian's voice reflected determination and self-confidence. "Let her go and I will grant you a quick and painless death."

Xenarion shook his head amused and put a hand under Lyndia's trembling chin. She was still crying, her hands were shaking and her skin was very pale. She was afraid. She was afraid of dying. She was afraid of never seeing her mother or any other member of her family again. She didn't want to die but there was nothing she could do to prevent the inevitable.

Xenarion's eyes still rested on the ranger. "You will join your beloved whore of a wife soon and serve our master for all eternity. You will serve just like this abomination of a hybrid. Humans and high elves shouldn't mate and produce children. Her existence is a shame for our people. Her father ashamed our people because he couldn't take his hands off a dark-skinned female human. Their relationship was doomed from the start. I still don't get why elves mate with humans. We high elves live much longer than these weak humans. The human partners will die eventually and the elves will be alone. I don't understand it. In my opinion, high elves should only be allowed to mate with high elves and not with humans or other inferior races."

Kelrian shook his head. He couldn't believe what Xenarion had just said that. He knew he was an asshole but he had never thought he would be racist. "The reason they came together was love. Something you are not capable of. You are unable to love anyone except for yourself, you egoistic bastard."

Xenarion tilted his head. "I loved my children."

"But they no longer love you. They stopped loving you when they realized what kind of a person you are. You are a monster. You are an abomination and a shame for our people. No. They are no longer your people. You are a shame for my people. I still can't believe that my mother had once loved you."

Xenarion didn't respond to him and just looked at the boat which had gotten further and further away from the landing stage in the meantime. His gaze shifted back to the ranger who was still staring at him with narrowed eyes that reflected nothing but anger.

"I'm tired of talking. Let's end this."

"You wouldn't dare," said Kelrian. Xenarion smirked mischievously as he pushed Lyndia's head to the left side but her jaw to the opposite side until a loud crack could be had broken her neck with ease. A loud, furious scream escaped Kelrian's lips as Lyndia's body landed on the ground.

Tears ran down his cheeks, he was no longer able to control himself and charged at the undead, intending to pass them and ram his sword through Xenarion's head. But he was thrown away by a small shock wave that had been created by a mage. A certain mage he knew quite well, unfortunately. He was another man Kelrian wanted to see dead. And he was not the only one who wanted the man's death. Every high elf knew the man's name and knew what he had done. He had betrayed the high elves for power, just like Xenarion.

Dar'Khan Drathir walked over to the motionless body of the teenager and regarded her for a few moments before he began to cast a spell.

"Don't worry," Xenarion said, smiling mischievously. "She won't stay dead for long."

Kelrian watched in horror as the hybrid's limbs started to twitch. A few moments passed and then the twitching became wilder. It stopped suddenly, the body remained motionless for a few seconds before it straightened up by itself. The freshly raised half-elf stood up, her light-brown skin became paler and the blue glow of her eyes changed. The blue colour of her eyes became as unnatural as the colour of Dar'Khan Drathir's, Xenarion'sand the eyes of every undead creature Kelrian had seen so far. She was no longer Lyndia Windrunner. She was just another servant of Arthas Menethil.

Kelrian noticed that his heart was beating much faster than before. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He couldn't believe that Lyndia had died and was forced to serve the evil human from now on. He had promised Sylvanas to take care of her. He had promised it. And he had failed her.

Lyndia was dead, Lireesa was probably dead too and he had no idea where Turalyon and Sylvera were. He had no idea if they were still alive, already dead or safe on the ships already. He could only hope they were safe somewhere.

The other possibility would break his heart. He had already lost too many friends, comrades and family members, so he didn't want to lose more of the ones who were left. He knew he had no control over who will die and who will survive, so he could only hope for the best outcome.

His son was safe, he knew that. But he was only one of many persons he had promised to save. Zendarin was still fighting, Alleria was still missing and Turalyon was somewhere out there looking for Sylvera and Arator. He had no idea where Elena was nor did he know if the king or the queen were still alive. He had no idea what was going on. He had no clue who was dead and who was still alive. He wished he could join Turalyon in the search for Sylvera and Arator but he wouldn't be able to do that. The undead on the landing stage would never allow him to pass.

The remaining boats had departed already or had been destroyed by the undead. He was alone and nobody would be able to reach him in time to save him. There was only one way for him to escape. He pulled the hearthstone, Sylvanas had given to him, out of his pocket and wanted to use it but his hands were frozen before he was able to do that.

Dar'Khan Drathir looked at him and grinned mischievously. "There is no escape for you," he said amused. It was clearly visible that he and Xenarion were enjoying this. Their unholy resurrection had turned them into sadists. They enjoyed making others suffer. "Don't worry, Kel. This is not the end. The master has plans for you," said the undead shadow priest. "Death is not the end. Death is only the beginning."

Kelrian gritted his teeth and stared at the traitors, preparing himself for this inevitable death. He didn't want to join Arthas' army but it seemed that there was no way to avoid it. These bastards will kill him, raise him and make him to a loyal servant of the Scourge. The only positive thing would be that he could reunite with Sylvanas in death but he didn't want that. He didn't want to serve Arthas Menethil and his undead army.

He could only hope that his loved ones would make it out alive. He was convinced that they will kill him. He wasn't even able to defend himself with his hands trapped in ice blocks. He was defenceless and he hated that. He wanted to go down fighting but all he could do was to try to crush the heads of the undead with these ice blocks. But he doubted he would be able to kill many that way.

He saw the undead coming closer. Even Lyndia was running towards him, her arms were stretched out and her eyes reflected nothing but anger and hatred. Kelrian took a deep breath, dedicating his last thoughts to Sylvanas. He was ready to die.

But fate had other plans with him.

He heard the loud cry of a dragonhawk. Sharp claws dug in his uniform, he was lifted in the air and brought away from the landing stage. He lifted his head, spotting a large green dragonhawk that was carrying him. His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight on the two women that were sitting on top of it.

Elena was guiding the beast while Alleria was sitting right behind her. She was alive. Injured but alive. Elena was looking at him, a relieved expression could be seen on her face. A similar expression could be found on Kelrian's face. He was still shocked about Lyndia's death but he was glad he made it out alive and didn't become a member of Arthas Menethil's vile army.

He was safe.

* * *

Elena entered the room and walked to the table, stopping in front of it. She let her gaze wander through the room, spotting a familiar man who was sitting in an armchair. Elena turned up her nose, noticing the pungent and strong scent of alcohol. She had gotten used to it over the past weeks, so she was able to bear it.

She squatted down next to the blond man who wore a dirty shirt and a pair of blue trousers which he hadn't taken off for days. His hair was messy and he was smelling bad. He hadn't left his room for days. His weak blue glowing eyes rested on the opposite wall. He held a bottle in his hand which was already half empty.

Elena looked at the man worriedly. "Kelrian?" she asked quietly. "Can you hear me?"

Kelrian didn't react to her. He didn't turn his head to look at her nor did he say anything. He just stared at the wall as if something was projected onto it. A sad sigh escaped Elena's lips. She got up and sat down on the right armrest, running her fingers through Kelrian's messy hair. Kelrian didn't stop her. Normally he had always stopped her because he didn't like it when someone who was not Sylvanas toyed with his hair. But he was absent-minded and didn't realize that she was doing that, so he didn't do anything against it.

Elena put a hand under his chin and turned it so she could stare into his eyes. His gaze was empty. She doubted that Kelrian knew that she was mind was somewhere else. Elena assumed that he was thinking about his deceased wife, his most likely deceased mother-in-law and his daughter who was still missing.

It was clearly visible that Kelrian had not yet managed to come to terms with the events of the past weeks. The fall of Quel'Thalas, the deaths of most high elves and the unholy rebirths of so many citizens were still too much for Kelrian. The loss of the love of his life and the losses many friends and comrades didn't make things easier for him. She couldn't hold that against him because she had needed weeks to come to terms with everything.

She no longer moped and lived her life instead. She had accepted that she had to move on and try to do the best out of the current situation. She had lost her best friend and many of her comrades but she knew they would have wanted her to move on andtry to live a normal knew her life would never be normal again. It would never be the same again but she could try to make it as normal as possible. But first, the remaining undead had to be driven out of Quel'Thalas.

It hurt Elena to see Kelrian in that condition. Everything was too much for him so he tried to drown his problems in alcohol. Elena knew it was the wrong solution because it wouldn't work in the long run. It was only a temporary solution but there was nothing she could do for him.

He had to accept everything but that was easier said than done. She had needed weeks to accept everything and she had lost far fewer beloved people than he had. She hadn't lost a single member of her family while Kelrian had definitely lost two members of his family and more were still missing.

His mother, his daughter and his younger siblings were still missing while his niece-in-law had been raised and turned into a servant of the Scourge. She understood that it was not easy for him to forget everything that had happened. Too much had happened and it would be impossible to forget everything. He had to come to terms with the events of the past weeks and accept the current situation somehow, no matter how hard it would be and how much time he would need. He couldn't stay in his room forever and do nothing but consuming alcohol all day.

Elena assumed that Sylvanas had told him to move on but he was doing the entire opposite of it. He was sitting there and wasting his time instead of helping others who had also lost beloved persons. Like his son. The alcohol made him forget but only temporarily. It was not a permanent solution. Elena had to make him realize that somehow but she had no idea how to do that. She had no idea how she should help him because he was not listening to her or anyone else. Not even to his son. He ignored anyone who tried to speak to him.

Another sad sigh escaped Elena's lips. She put her hand on one of his, caressing its back with her thumb. As expected, he didn't react to her. He took another large sip from the bottle and kept staring at the wall. Elena shook her head, giving him a sad look before she got up. She regarded him for a few moments, pressed a kiss on his cheek, near the corner of his mouth, and then walked towards the door. It was not easy for her to reach the door without stumbling over one of the empty bottles that laid on the floor but she managed to left the room without falling or hurting herself.

She followed the corridor and arrived in the living room where Raesh sat on the sofa. He held a photo album in his hands and flicked through the pages. Sadness was reflected by his eyes while he did that. Elena walked over to him and regarded the photos on the open the left page were photos of Kelrian and Sylvanas with a big baby bump. They were happy in these photos. The photos on the other page showed Kelrian and Sylvanas with their twins who were only a few months old. Raesh sighed and turned the page, regarding the next photos.

That was his way of coming to terms with the sad truth. Elena was not sure if this way was effective but it was much better than Kelrian's way. Trying to drink away any problems was never a good solution while what Raesh did was at least a good start. Elena regarded the teenager for a few minutes before she left the room. But not only the room. She left the house and entered the backyard.

She followed the plastered path until she came to a pavilion where Vereesa and her husband were sitting. They were having dinner but none of them was saying anything. They just stared at their food while they ate. They didn't communicate with each other.

The pink-haired woman stepped to the table and looked at Rhonin. "Should I leave you in peace or can I join you?"

Rhonin lifted his head and looked at Vereesa who did the same and nodded before she looked at Elena. "You can," responded the archmage.

Elena gave them a thankful nod and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Her gaze fell on the pregnant silver-haired woman whose face reflected anything but happiness. She was anything but happy for a woman who had found out days ago that she was not only expecting one child but two instead.

Elena assumed that she hadn't come to terms with her sister's death yet. Not only with her death but also with her unfortunate fate. She had been shocked when Alleria had told her that Arthas had not only murdered their beloved sister but also turned her into a wicked creature that killed high elves and other creatures with pleasure.

Elena filled a glass with moonberry juice and drank it, watching the couple who were still eating in silence. "How is Kelrian doing?" Rhonin asked eventually.

Elena shook her head slightly. "Not too well. He is still drinking and I still have no idea how I can reach him. He ignores me most of the time and just sits there like a wet blanket in his armchair and does nothing."

"People grieve in different ways. Some try to think about something else while others do something to distract themselves. And then there are those who try to forget."

Elena's gaze fell on the archmage, she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Alcohol is not a solution."

Rhonin sighed. "I know but it's his decision. You know how he acts when we take away the alcohol from him. He already devasted his room one time, I don't want him to devastate it again. Not to mention that he could destroy the furniture in other rooms if he gets really angry."

"We can't allow him to behave like that. He has a serious drinking problem. We need to find a way to help him. He has to accept how things are now. He needs to stop drinking. The alcohol is not good for him," responded Elena insistently.

"I know," replied the redhead and put his cutlery next to his empty plate. "But I don't know what we could do for him. Speaking to him is meaningless so I doubt a therapist will help. He will most likely ignore them too."

"You are probably right," admitted Elena, her voice reflected sadness. "But we need to do something about it."

Rhonin nodded. "You are right but I have no idea what we could do."

Elena was silent and regarded Vereesa eating up everything on her plate **.** She got another portion and ate it in silence while Elena and Rhonin watched her. Worry was reflected by the archmage's eyes. He was worried about his wife. Hearing about the devastation of Quel'Thalas, the deaths of at least eighty percent of its citizens and the death of her dear sister had shocked her. She had lost her role model, the sister she had looked up to the most.

She had already lost her little brother sixteen years ago and now Sylvanas was dead too. But Sylvanas' fate was worse than death. She was forced to serve the man who murdered her and committed numerous crimes against the people of Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. It was clearly visible that Vereesa had not yet come to terms with the horrible fate of her sister. Fortunately, she had Rhonin who would do anything to comfort her, provided she would talk to him.

"Where is Alleria?" Elena asked eventually.

"She went to the Violet Gate to meet Ranger-Captain Lor'themar Theron, Ranger-Captain Halduron Brightwing, many other Farstriders, mages and servants of the light. They want to reclaim Quel'Danas and reconquer Quel'Thalas piece by piece. She told me that Prince Kael'thas will lead the mission," answered the redhead.

"I should join them. Arthas and most of his disgusting, undead creatures left Quel'Thalas. Our scouts reported that there are still many undead creatures in Quel'Thalas but they are scattered all over the kingdom. We should be able to deal with them and free Quel'Thalas."

"I hope everything will work out as planned. Too many high elves died already, we cannot lose more."

Elena sighed. "We can only hope for the best. We have no idea where the butcher went but at least he left our kingdom. We have to retake it because we can't stay here in Dalaran, in Ironforge or in Stormwind forever. We have to reconquer our home. We waited for weeks but Arthas didn't return. It seems he achieved his goal and now chases another. It's our duty to retake Quel'Thalas and rebuild it."

"You are absolutely right about that. It's time to retrieve Quel'Thalas. I wish you good luck with that," said Rhonin

"I wish I could join you," responded Vereesa. "But I can't because I'm pregnant. The risk is too high, I need to stay alive and healthy for the twins in my belly."

Elena gave her a small smile. "It's okay, Vereesa. I will kill a few undead in your name and release as many of our people as I can from Arthas' service **.** They should no longer be forced to serve him."

"Let's hope Turalyon, Liana and Kelrian's younger siblings are not among those who died. I hope they are somewhere safe. Hopefully, they are still alive and will come back to us one day. I haven't heard of them since the undead set foot on Quel'Danas. I fear the worst," said Vereesa and played with her fingers nervously.

"Maybe they are busy fighting the undead somewhere. Who knows? We can only hope for the best. Hope always dies last."

Vereesa nodded. "Hope always dies last," she repeated.

"I will go now. See you soon," said Elena.

Vereesa and Rhonin nodded to her and wished her good luck. Elena thanked them and wished them a nice day before she left them alone and walked towards the backyard door.


	17. The New Campaign

"Do you have a moment, Kael'thas?" asked a familiar feminine voice.

The elven prince turned his head and looked at the woman who stood in the door of the assembly room where the Council of the Six met to discuss certain topics. She wore her usual outfit which consisted of a white pair of trousers that was combined with a purple skirt, a purple cape and a chest guard made out of iron. She carried her wand on her back, her hood was pulled down so that her blonde hair was exposed.

Kael'thas regarded her for a few moments, admired her beauty and walked over to her. He looked down at her, staring into her blue eyes. The expression on his handsome face was anything but friendly at this moment. His blue eyes were narrowed, a frown was visible on his forehead and his lips were pressed together. It was clearly visible that he was not amused.

Something was troubling him. Jaina assumed that the prince was often thinking about the events of the past weeks. She assumed he couldn't stop thinking about the devastation of his home and the death of most of its inhabitants. She assumed that he was blaming himself for not having been in Quel'Thalas when the attack had happened.

She was glad that he hadn't been there when the undead invaded Quel'Thalas, otherwise, he may have been killed too. Arthas had killed the king and the queen and he would have killed the prince too if he would have been there. Jaina still couldn't believe that Arthas had done this. She couldn't believe that the man she had once loved, the man she still loved, had done such horrible things. Not only had he killed his own father and doomed his own kingdom but he had also done the same with Quel'Thalas. His undead army had slain most of its citizens and Arthas had killed the rulers of the once glorious kingdom.

She still couldn't believe that the man who would have done anything to protect his kingdom, had done the entire opposite. She had no reasonable explanation for his actions. She wanted to understand him. She wanted to understand why he had done that but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried and how she looked at it, nothing made sense to her. She couldn't comprehend his decisions.

Jaina knew that she was not here to think about Arthas. She didn't go to Kael'thas to stand in the door and think about Arthas and his actions. She came here to speak to the prince, to find out how he was doing and comfort him as best as she could. But only if he would let her. Jaina noticed that he didn't seem to be in the mood for talking.

Kael'thas regarded her from head to toe, his head was tilted and he raised an eyebrow. He sounded impatient as he asked her a certain question. "What do you want, Jaina?"

The human bit her bottom lip softly, giving Kael'thas a comforting look. "I'm here to look after you and find out how you are doing," she said softly.

Kael'thas snorted angrily. "How am I doing? I'm not doing well, as you can see. Your _lover_ left my home in ruins, killed most of its inhabitants and even my father and my step-mother. This monster killed my family and you let him in your bed."

Jaina opened her mouth, wanting to say something but Kael'thas was faster and already formulated the next sentence while his fists were still clenched. "I can't believe you loved this monster who slew hundreds of thousands of innocents with the help of his vile army." His voice sounded very threatening, his eyes reflected a mix of grief and hatred. He hated Arthas Menethil for what he did. He hated him so badly that he wished he could just teleport to him and kill him. He wanted nothing more than justice. Justice for his people.

But he didn't know where Arthas was. He didn't know what was Arthas doing at the moment nor did he know what he was planning. He could only hope he would meet the traitor again one day so that he could kill him.

He couldn't hurt Arthas because he was not there. He couldn't let his anger out on him. He couldn't physically harm him. Arthas was out of his reach but Jaina wasn't.

Something told Kael'thas that it was not right to let his anger out on Jaina. The archmage wasn't responsible for anything but still, Kael'thas had chosen her as his scapegoat. He couldn't let his anger out on the death knight, so Jaina was the unfortunate person who would have to witness how angry the prince could get.

Jaina knew he was letting everything out on her to make himself feel better. She didn't hold that against him because she understood how desperate and lost he must feel at the moment. There was nothing he could do to punish Arthas for his crimes. He must feel powerless. Powerless and very angry.

Jaina remained silent for a while as she stared at the prince whose sparkling eyes still rested on her. She put a hand on his shoulder but he bashed it away, not caring that he had hurt her that way.

"Kael'thas...," she began but the furious glare she received silenced her.

She tried it again a minute later. "I know he did horrible things but..." She paused. "Your people suffered a tragic fate..."

"You have no idea what suffering means, child," the prince shouted angrily. His reaction surprised and shocked Jaina at the same time. She had never seen him so angry before. He had always behaved like a polite man who was able to control his emotions but at this moment, Kael'thas was the entire opposite of the man she had gotten known to over the past years.

"You are nothing more than a child. An inexperienced, foolish, naive and dumb child. You know nothing about the suffering this butcher caused to my people. He slew them all, Jaina. He and his vile army overran my kingdom and killed anyone who crossed them. Elders, women and not even children were spared. Not even newborns were shown mercy.

He slew Sylvanas Windrunner and defiled her by raising her and forcing her to serve him. He killed my father after he killed his own. My step-mother died too. He slew my parents and many of my friends. I doubt that any words out of your naive mouth are going to change anything. You better be quiet and leave me alone. I have no time to talk to a kid about the events of the past weeks. About loss and justice. I don't need you, Jaina."

Kael'thas noticed that his words had really hurt her. He noticed tears in the corners of her eyes but he didn't care. He was feeling a little better after he had told Jaina everything that was going through his head. He was still mad but he was not as mad as he had been before the archmage had entered the room.

"I shouldn't have left Quel'Thalas. I should have been there when that monster set foot in Quel'Thalas. I should have fought with my family and supported them in the fight against Arthas."

"You would have died if you would have been there, Kael'thas," responded Jaina, sounding as compassionate as she could. "If you would have died with them, nobody would be left to rule Quel'Thalas once you have reconquered and rebuilt wouldn't be able to help your people during these dark times if you would have died with your parents. You wouldn't have helped anyone if you would have lost your life. What happened is not your fault. You couldn't have prevented their deaths and the fate of your people."

Kael'thas facial features became tense, his eyes narrowed and his lips were pressed together. Jaina realized that she had said the wrong thing and had made the prince angrier than he already was. "You are underestimating me, foolish girl. I could have stopped _your prince_ if I would have been there. But now it's too late. This bastard left Quel'Thalas and went somewhere else. I don't have the time to talk to you about nonsense and listen to your fake apologies. Do everyone a favour and crawl back to the city you and all these other useless humans are currently building. I was a fool to think humans like you could help me.

A corrupted death knight destroyed the kingdom my family built over millenniums and Stormwind did nothing in the meantime. Gilneas did nothing in the meantime. Humans are such weak and useless creatures. I don't need your help, Jaina. I need you to leave me alone and let me do my thing. I will gather all those who are still able to fight and get back what is ours. We will reconquer Quel'Thalas and rebuild it. Do not make the mistake of standing in my way. Do not try to tell me what I should do and what I shouldn't. I can think for myself, Jaina. I'm not as stupid and naive as you are."

Kael'thas regarded her one last time. "My people need me now, because my father...," he fell silent. "I have to go to them. To the few who survived the slaughter. To those who were reborn by the blood of those who now serve your _lover_." Kael'thas shoved her aside forcefully and left the room, not caring about the effect his words were having on the young archmage.

* * *

Kael'thas clearly remembered the conversation he had with Jaina a few days ago. He was sorry that he had behaved inappropriately and very rudely. He had had no right to talk to her in the tone he had used and to treat her the way he had treated her. She had only wanted to help him, to comfort him and to give him hope and he had pushed her away, insulted her and hurt her feelings.

He felt bad for letting his anger out on her. She hadn't deserved it. Arthas deserved it but Kael'thas was unable to hurt the death knight and make him pay for his crimes. Because of that, he had let his anger out on the wrong person. Jaina had been that person because she cared about Arthas and he had once cared about her. She had wanted to be there for Kael'thas, for her friend, and he had treated her badly and had let out his anger on her. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings but it was too late. He had spoken the words and he had felt relieved afterwards. He hadn't meant it that way. The words had been spoken. He couldn't take them back. All he could do was to apologize to her. He wanted to do that but first, he would retake what he and his people had lost. They would reconquer Quel'Thalas. Kael'thas will have enough time apologizing to the young woman once his people were able to live in their home again.

His gaze fell on the dozens of high elves who were gathered at Runeweaver Square. He counted four dozen Farstriders, twelve mages, six paladins, five priests and eight warriors. There were fewer people there than he had hoped for, but they were better than nothing. He wished he had more but he understood that not everyone felt ready to fight again.

He had heard of many who still hadn't come to terms with the horrible events. Many didn't leave their rooms or their houses. Some of them even refused to speak to anyone. They needed more time to accept what had happened if they would ever be able to accept it.

Kael'thas knew it was possible that some people would be traumatized forever. It was very likely that the events had changed lots of people. It was possible that some could no longer continue their old lives. Lots of people had lost their entire family or at least some members of their family. They had lost their loved ones, their friends and comrades. Kael'thas hadn't received the official numbers yet but he assumed that at least three-quarters of his people had lost their lives.

Most high elves died and half of the survivors were crippled, badly wounded or still weren't able to handle what they had seen. The prince knew it would take a while to reconquer Quel'Thalas with less than one hundred capable fighters but he had no other choice. The earlier they would start their mission the earlier his people would be able to return to their homes. He guessed it would take weeks, maybe even months or years to retake all areas of Quel'Thalas but he had sworn he wouldn't stop until they had retaken every single area.

Kael'thas walked over to Lor'themar Theron and greeted him. The Ranger-Captain wore a new uniform which gave him more protection than his former uniform. The leather was much thicker and the chain vest beneath it was much firmer than the old one. His uniform was not the only thing that was new about him. His left eye was covered by an eye-patch. He had lost his eye during the invasion. He would have lost more than his eye if his friend Halduron wouldn't have saved him.

Lor'themar lowered his head in respect. "It's good to see you, my king."

"King...," repeated Kael'thas quietly, sadness was reflected by his eyes. "My father was the king, I'm not."

"With all due respect, the death of your father makes you the rightful king, your majesty," responded Lor'themar.

"You are right about that, but until I'm crowned, I refuse to be called king. I'm your prince as long as we haven't retaken our home. Is that clear to everyone?" he asked strictly.

Everyone nodded. Kael'thas' expression didn't change. Nothing but determination and seriousness could be seen in his face. "We will reclaim what is ours, no matter how long we will need. It may take weeks, months or maybe even years. Time doesn't matter. We have to make sure that our losses are as small as possible which means that nobody should take risks as long as it is not necessary. Stay safe and rather wait for reinforcements instead of trying to fight a greater number of undead creatures. The survival of our people is most important in these dark times. We can't afford to lose more people. We already lost so many. Too many. I forbid you to take any unnecessary risk. Is that clear to everyone?"

The elves nodded. Everyone was determined to reclaim Quel'Thalas and take out as many undead as possible. They had to expel the undead if they wanted to make it possible for civilians to return to their former homes one day.

"Did all the volunteers arrive or are more coming? asked Kael'thas.

"It seems that everyone is here," responded Lor'themar after nearly a minute had passed.

"Wait for me," shouted a tipsy voice. The prince turned his head, spotting his secret son who was obviously drunk. Kelrian had just arrived at the square. He wore one of his older uniforms, his bow and quiver hang over his shoulder but it looked like they would slip off his shoulders at any moment. He was swaying as he walked over to the prince and Lor'themar. Both knew that he wouldn't be useful at all in this condition. It was very likely that he would endanger himself and his comrades. Kael'thas couldn't allow that.

But it was not the prince who spoke to Kelrian. Lor'themar had taken the floor and told the Ranger-Lieutenant that his condition was unacceptable. He reminded him that he would endanger the entire mission if he would fight in his current state.

Kelrian tried to convince his superior that he had himself under control but Lor'themar didn't believe him nor did Kael'thas. "I can fight," proclaimed the Ranger-Lieutenant. "I want to join you when you go to Quel'Thalas and slay every undead creature which remains there. The fallen must be avenged and those who were forced to serve the Scourge have to be released. They would do the same for us." Kelrian slurred, his eyes rested on Lor'themar. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol and his gaze became empty from time to time, enduring for a few moments before his expression became normal again.

"I appreciate your offer but we can't take you with us. At least not while you are drunk."

"I'm not drunk," replied Kelrian, sounding much louder and harsher than he had intended to.

"You are, obviously."

"I'm not," repeated Kelrian insistently.

Lor'themar tilted his head, regarding Kelrian from head to toe. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am," he replied.

"Walk in a straight line without swaying," Lor'themar demanded.

Kelrian nodded. "As you wish." Kelrian tried to balance over the kerb. It had been much easier in his imagination than it was in reality. He was swaying heavily and his vision even blurred out from time to time. He felt dizzy, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest and his head was hurting. He was not feeling too well but he didn't want to stay in Dalaran while the others were fighting for their home.

He had once sworn to protect Quel'Thalas by any means and he didn't want to break this promise. He had already abandoned Quel'Thalas once when the dragonhawk had carried him away, so he didn't want to abandon it a second time. He wanted to join the others and fight by their sides.

Kelrian tried hard to prove the prince and Lor'themar that he was able to participate in the mission but he failed. He swayed and waved his arms around widely, hoping he could convince his superior and the prince that he was still able to join them but he accomplished the entire opposite.

He lost his balance and fell to the left side, landing on the ground. Elena didn't hesitate to help him up and steady him. Kael'thas rubbed his forehead and shook his head slightly. Disappointment was visible in his eyes but only for a short moment.

"I appreciate your willingness to help but we don't need anyone who can't even walk in a straight line and smells like a pub," said Kael'thas. "You are allowed to join us when you are sober and able to think clearly."

"But I want to join now," hissed Kelrian. He gritted his teeth, his eyes were narrowed and rested on the prince. Shocked and surprised expressions could be seen on the faces of the others. They couldn't believe that Kelrian had behaved in that way towards a member of the royal family. He was his prince, his king basically, so Kelrian had no right to behave like that. His behaviour towards the rightful heir of the throne had been anything but respectful. People who didn't show the royal family the necessary respect were usually punished but Kael'thas exempted him from punishment at that moment. Nevertheless, he let the ranger know that he wouldn't forgive him a second time.

Kelrian stared at the prince, his facial expression changed as he realized what he had done. "I'm sorry," he muttered after nearly three minutes had passed.

Kael'thas didn't respond to him. He turned his head and looked at two guards from Dalaran. "Bring Ranger-Lieutenant Sunsinger to his accommodation and tell Archmage Rhonin and his wife to watch over him. If he stops drinking and remains sober for a few days he is allowed to come to Quel'Thalas and help us to deal with the undead."

"As you wish, Prince Sunstrider," the man and the woman said in unison. Kael'thas' gaze rested on them as they put their hands on Kelrian's shoulders and brought him away.

The prince turned his head, looking at those who were still determined to retake Quel'Thalas and couldn't wait to fight the remaining creatures Arthas had left behind.

Kael'thas made sure that everyone was ready, then he gave the mages a signal. They walked over to him and helped him with the creation of a portal that would be large enough that more than two persons could step through it at the same time. The creation of the portal didn't take too long because thirteen mages were combining their power. Kael'thas ordered the first four persons to step through the portal and they did that without hesitation. The next four followed and then next and so on until only Kael'thas, Archmage Rommath, Liadrin and Alleria were left.

The prince regarded them closely. "You know which areas your groups have to clear once we arrive at the Sunwell Plateau?" he asked to make sure everyone knew what they had to do.

"We know what we have to do, my prince," they said in unison. A small smile appeared on Kael'thas lips. It had been a while since anyone had seen him smile. He was not happy at all but the thought of recapturing Quel'Thalas cheered him up a little. He knew what he had to do and he was convinced he would achieve his goal.

He had to lead his people through this crisis, give them hope and make them believe in themselves. They could only retake Quel'Thalas if they would work together and give their best. They had to be motivated and stay positive.

He hadn't expected to have to lead his people through a crisis of this dimension one day. He had always hoped that the peace, that had been established after the end of the Second War, would last forever. He had thought his father would live much longer and rule over their people until the Horde would be completely extinguished. He had always thought the doctors would find a way to let his father live forever.

He had never thought he would become the king of Quel'Thalas one day. He was not the king because he hadn't been crowned yet, but in fact, he was the king of the high elves because he was his father's only heir. He was the only son of Anasterian Sunstrider. He was the only one who could lead his people through this crisis and he would do everything necessary to guarantee the survival of his people. He would do anything to protect the survivors and allow them to return to their homeland.

Anything.

He took a deep breath and exhaled a few moments later before he stepped through the portal with the others. They came out in front of Magisters' Terrace in the north-east of the island. They couldn't have teleported to the Sunwell Plateau because too many undead foes were there. The risk that they would come out in the middle of a large group of undead creatures was too high.

They had to start from this place and fight their way to the plateau. Kael'thas knew that a small group of Farstriders and mages had already killed any undead creature in the building. They had also taken care of the creatures near the building. He wanted to be on the safe side, so he sent one group in the building and two to check their surroundings and kill any creature that would cross them.

Liadrin's group entered the building while Lor'themar, Halduron Brightwing and their groups checked the surroundings. They didn't have to kill many creatures. Only a few had come to the once magnificent building after it had been freed of any unwanted undead creatures the day before.

Magisters' Terrace laid in ruins. The entrance had been completely destroyed, the outer walls were heavily damaged and the roof was full of holes. Arthas' vile creatures hadn't spared the building where the best mages of Silvermoon went to train, share knowledge or do other things. It was much larger than the mage academy in Silvermoon. The apprentices went to the academy and trained there while only the best mages were allowed to enter Magister' Terrace. Kael'thas, his advisor Astalor and Magister Rommath had often trained there together and talked about new combinations of spells and other things.

"This looks worse than I've expected," said Kael'thas quietly.

"It does but it's still fixable. We will rebuild it once we have driven the undead out of our kingdom," said Astalor. The prince turned his head and looked at his advisor.

He wore a blue robe, his upper body was protected by a chest plate that had massive shoulder plates. It was untypical for a mage to wear armour but the blond magister preferred it that way. He wanted to be better protected in case an undead creature would approach him and force him to fight in close combat. He carried a long silver wand in his hands which tip was a long, pointed blue crystal. The wand would also be pretty useful in close combat if he would need it.

Most high elf mages wore blue robes. Kael'thas was one of the few exceptions. His robe was blood-red, his shoulder plates were extraordinarily large so was his spread collar thattowered over his head.

"Am I the only one who feels weaker since Arthas conquered Quel'Danas?" asked Rommath. Kael'thas looked at the black-haired magister, noticing that he was paler than usual. Everyone who joined the prince appeared paler than usual. "I assume you are not the only one, Rommath. I feel weaker, my hearing seems to be worse than usual and even my vision gets worse from time to time for a few minutes. Sometimes, I'm seeing things which are not here. I don't know what is wrong with me.

I have the bad feeling that something is wrong with the Sunwell. Some survivors reported that Arthas entered the palace, so it's very likely that he went to the Sunwell and did something with it. We have to find out what is going on with the Sunwell and how we can fix the problems we have. That is our first goal. We have to reconquer the palace, check on the Sunwell and then we will see what we do next."

"I hope we can fix this. I hate to feel so weak,"said Astalor.

"We have to get to the bottom of it to fully understand what is going on, then we can act. Acting without knowing what is going on is unwise," replied the prince.

"You are right, my prince," responded Rommath. Kael'thas nodded and stared at the entrance of the building until Liadrin's unit returned. None of them was injured, none of them had fallen. Blood stuck on their weapons, telling the prince that they had met undead creatures and killed them. "The building is safe, my prince."

The corners of Kael'thas' lips formed a small, barely recognizable smile. "Good. We can go now. We will split up when we reach the palace and the established groups will go to their assigned places. Is everything clear? Any questions?"

The gathered high elves shook their heads. They were ready to retake the Sunwell Plateau and find out the reason for their current condition. They wanted to find out why they felt so weak. They were ready to free their home from the undead. They were ready to reconquer their home.

Kael'thas led the way and the seventy-nine high elves followed him without hesitation.


	18. Move On

_He was greeted by warm sunlight as he stepped out of the portal. He turned his head to check his surroundings, noticing that he was in the area where he had wanted to arrive. He was on the beach of Sunstrider Isle but he was not alone. Sylvanas and their children were with them. The three-year-old children stood between their parents, their blue eyes were widened and excitement was clearly visible on their cute faces._

_They have never been to the beach. It was the first time they saw the endless sea and soft yellow sand. There were lots of creatures gathered on the beach. Most of creatures were high elves but there were also lots of humans, some dwarves and even gnomes. Most visitors were in the water while a small portion remained on the coast and ate ice cream, sunbathed themselves or did other things. The ones in the water were swimming, diving, splashed others with water or were just having fun. Everyone was in a happy mood and enjoyed the wonderful weather on this wonderful day._

_It was much warmer than usual. The high temperatures hadn't allowed Sylvanas to fully concentrate on her work, so she had decided to work off the documents on her desk on another day. She had decided to make use of the wonderful weather to go to the beach with her family._

_Usually, Sylvanas didn't go to beaches because she got everyone's attention whenever she showed up in a bikini no matter which colour it had and how much skin it covered. She had decided to ignore those who would only stare at her all the time and take a closer look at her slim but muscular body. That day she didn't care if they would see anything, so she had decided to wear a bikini she liked. A bikini Kelrian would love. She was sure he would enjoy the view._

_She wore her favourite blue bikini. The top piece accentuated her big breasts pretty well and the bottom piece left nothing to the imagination. Her well-formed ass looked much better in bikini panties than in the leggings of her uniform and that had to mean something. She didn't need to look at the people in her near to know that many pairs of eyes rested on her ass and her breasts._

_But her rounds were not the only parts of her gorgeous body people were staring at. Her muscular upper body, especially her abs, and her smooth legs were also a feast for the eyes of most people._

_But Sylvanas didn't need the confirmations of others. She never had._ She knew she looked good, so she _didn't need anyone to tell her how good she looked. Nevertheless, she was happy that a certain man always told her how good she looked. Kelrian was the only one who was allowed to heap compliments on her. He was her boyfriend and not just one of her many admirers who longed for her attention._

_Kelrian loved her with all his heart. He loved her for the woman she was and not for her looks. He couldn't deny that he was heavily attracted by her but he would also love her if she would look different or much less beautiful. Looks didn't matter to him. She was his soulmate. The love of his life. The only person he wanted to impress. She was his world. His everything._

_She had been the most important person in his life until the birth of their children. Since their birth, she had to share_ _that spot with the twins. But she didn't mind that. As long as no other woman was as important as her to him, she was fine with sharing that spot. She loved her children and she was glad Kelrian loved them the same way. He was a good father and would do anything for his children. They were a happy couple and loved their children more than anything or anyone else._

_Sylvanas turned her head and smiled at her lover, receiving a happy smile in return. She let her gaze wander, regarding him from head to toe._ He was only wearing green swimming trunks _that reached to his knees. His toned abs and his muscular chest were uncovered. His long blond hair was combed to the left side, his piercing blue eyes stared into hers. He carried a beach ball under his left arm and a curled-up beach mat under his other arm_ _ **,**_ _a towel hung over his left shoulder._

_Sylvanas also had a towel and a beach mat_ _with her. She also carried a large sunshade in her left hand. Raesh and Sylvera wore swimsuits, each of them had a pair of water wings and a rubber ring. Sylvanas and Kelrian were extremely careful in that matter. They only wanted the best for their children, so they made sure that they wouldn't sink and drown in case something would happen while they wouldn't look at them for a few moments._

_"Let's find a nice place where there aren't too many people. I want to relax without having to fear that too many people would stare at me," said Sylvanas._

_Soft laughter escaped Kelrian's lips. "Did you forget that people follow you wherever you go? Especially if you wear such a nice bikini like this one. The others won't stop looking at you and try to be as close as possible to you. It won't be easy to find a spot where we can relax without someone disturbing us."_

_"Don't worry about that. The people will leave us in peace, otherwise, they will be banished from the beach as long as we remain there. They won't bother us. All they will do is staring at me."_

_"That's bad enough."_

_Sylvanas chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?"_

_Kelrian shook his head. "Of course not."_

_"Good. Let's go, my love."_

_Kelrian's gaze wandered from her head to her toes and then back to her head. His eyes had rested on her breasts much longer than he had intended to, making the Ranger-General smile at him in amusement. She knew that it was very hard for her lover to resist her and avert his gaze from her perfectly shaped body. It was already a challenge when she wore her uniform. Turning his gaze away from such a sexy view was much more difficult._

_Sylvanas chuckled and stared into his eyes for a few moments before she looked at the twins and signalized them to choose a spot where they wanted to rest. The kids started to run and chose a spot that was not far away from an ice cream stand. Sylvanas and Kelrian giggled as they figured out the main reason for that decision. The kids just wanted to eat as much ice cream as would fit in their tiny bellies._

_The couple knew their kids wouldn't stop begging until they would get what they wanted. They knew it was pointless to deny their request. They would get their wills eventually but Sylvanas and Kelrian only allowed them to get their wills when it came to ice cream. In other aspects, they remained strict and told the twins that they couldn't get everything they wanted. The twins knew how far they could go and what their parents would never allow them. They were pretty smart for their age._

_Sylvanas and her lover arrived at the spot eventually and spread out their beach mats. She stuck the handle of the sunshade so far into the sand that it stood firm. She made sure that the shadow it cast covered the four mats._ _Kelrian put the beach ball aside and laid down on his mat, putting the sunglasses, that stuck in his hair, on his nose. He stretched his arms out and regarded the bright midday sun._

_He regarded the sun for a few minutes before she looked at the only 'thing' that was much more beautiful than the sun. Sylvanas stood next to him, her hands rested on her hips, her soft and perfectly shaped lips formed a wide and happy smile. Her gorgeous eyes rested on him for nearly two minutes before they fell on the three-year-olds who had started to play with the beach ball that was half as tall as them. They kicked the ball to each other or lifted it up and threw it at each other._

_Sylvanas joined them after a few minutes and even Kelrian did that eventually even though he had planned to just lay on his mat and relax. They played for a while until the children had enough and wanted to eat ice cream. Their parents took them to the ice cream stand and allowed them to have two scoops of ice cream. Their parents also ordered two scoops for themselves because the ice cream was perfect to deal with the hot temperatures._

_They paid the seller and returned to their spot, enjoying the cold and delicious ice cream. Raesh and Sylvera ate their ice cream happily, not caring that the remains stuck on the lower halves of their faces_ _when they were done. Sylvanas took a few wet wipes out of her backpack and cleaned their faces, running her fingers through their blonde hair when she was done. The kids regarded their parents with wide smiles on their lips, asking them if they could build a sandcastle._

_Sylvanas had nothing against it, so she gave them permission to do that, chuckling when she saw the happy expressions on their faces. Kelrian gave them their sandbox toys and told them to be careful near the water if they wanted to use wet sand for their castles. The children nodded and walked as fast as they could until they reached the wet sand._

_The couple regarded them while they were having fun that but they weren't idle in the meantime. Sylvanas had closed the sunshade and began to take a sunbath._

_"You should put sunscreen on your skin," Kelrian said after a minute had passed._

_"You are right." She got up and took a small yellow bottle out of her backpack, handing it over to her lover who took it without hesitation. Kelrian didn't hesitate to rub the white liquid on his palms, putting them on her upper body. He stared into her eyes as she spread the sunscreen over her smooth skin. He started with her stomach and let his hand move up until they reached her breasts. A small, teasing grin could be seen on Sylvanas' lips as he hesitated. She chuckled and took his hands, putting them on her breasts. She covered them with hers and encouraged him to rub her large breasts and cover them with sunscreen that way._

_Kelrian got lost in her piercing eyes, forgetting that other people were around them and most likely watching them. He rubbed her breasts longer than necessary. He only stopped when Sylvanas' cleared her throat and brought him back to reality. Kelrian blushes when he realized that he had removed her bra and put sunscreen on the spots which were usually covered by the blue piece of cloth. He helped Sylvanas to put it back on, asking her to forgive him._

_Sylvanas smirked. "It's fine, my love. I don't mind others seeing my breasts. They have been exposed for nearly five minutes but I don't mind that. But next time when you put sunscreen on my body make sure you don't undress me in the process."_

_Kelrian's cheeks became redder, he nodded several times and apologized to her once again. Sylvanas just smiled and signalized him to continue what he had started. He put sunscreen on her smooth legs, waited until she laid on her front and then started to spread the liquid over her back. He massaged her back and her shoulders a little, smiling when his ears heard quiet moans escaping her lips._

_His eyes rested on their children while he continued to massage her, noticing that their castles looked more like piles of mud than actual sandcastles. He hadn't expected anything else. They were only three years old but the most important thing was that they enjoyed building these piles of mud. Raesh and Sylvera smiled at their parents whenever they looked. Their tiny hearts started to beat faster and happiness was reflected by their expressions when their mother and father told them how good their creations looked._

Kelrian clearly remembered that day after all these years. He remembered that he and Sylvanas had gone into the water and swam a little while their children had continued to build sandcastles. The three-year-olds had joined them eventually and walked into the water until it had reached their navels. Later they had gone further into the water and swam a little with the help of their water wings and their rubber rings. They had had so much fun that day.

This memory was one of Kelrian's favourites. The kids had been happier than ever and Sylvanas had also enjoyed that day. He had held her hand while they had taken a sunbath and even cuddled a little. They had shared kisses, some of them had endured much longer than others. The day had been perfect. He had been able to spend time with his usually busy lover and their children.

There were lots of other good memories Kelrian remembered from time to time. His marriage proposal, their wedding and the wedding night, their honeymoon in Elwynn Forest near Stormwind City and many other good memories. Those memories were everything that he had left of Sylvanas.

Sylvanas had been murdered by Arthas. She had been raised to serve the death knight and do whatever he wanted. She was gone and all Kelrian had left were the memories. Well, that was not the entire truth. He still had a few mementoes left of her, for example, the necklace she had gifted him before he joined the defence of Lordaeron fifteen years ago. He also still had the special arrow with her initials engraved in its tip and in its nock, which she had given him the same day.

Her wedding ring was still on his wedding finger and he had never thought of removing it. He didn't want to remove or throw away anything that had belonged the love of his life. These objects were still reminding him of the painful truth but he couldn't get rid of them even if he wanted to. He didn't want to get rid of them. He wanted to keep everything that was left of Sylvanas, even if seeing these objects pained him.

They always reminded him of the sad truth. Sylvanas was gone and would never return. She may not be technically dead but her fate was worse than death. She had been turned into a killing machine. The famous and beloved Ranger-General had been turned into a monster that was killing those she had sworn to protect. That creature was no longer his dear wife. Sylvanas was gone and that creature was nothing more than an abomination that looked like his wife but was not her.

Kelrian had lost lots of comrades and friends in the past. Many died in the Second War and many died when Arthas invaded Quel'Thalas. He had lost many of his friends, many comrades who had fought by his side and even members of his family. Lireesa was most likely dead, his mother, his younger siblings and Turalyon were still missing. It was very likely that they were dead too. But he didn't lose hope as long as he hadn't seen their corpses. He may feel bad and he may be unable to come to terms with Sylvanas' death but he still hadn't lost hope that his other relatives were still alive.

The hope that his relatives were still alive was one of the reasons why grief had not consumed him ' death had left a deep hole inside him. A hole which couldn't be filled so easily. He couldn't stop thinking about her no matter what he did. He often tried to think about something else but sooner or later, he always started to think about his wife.

He was not able to banish her out of his head. Whenever he was not doing anything, she came in his mind and reminded him of what he had lost. He had lost the love of his life. She had been taken away from him. There had been nothing he could have done to prevent her death.

He had not been there when Arthas struck her down. He wished he had been. He wished he had been by her side when Arthas approached her. He was convinced he could have saved her. He would have been able to create a portal and flee with her to Quel'Danas. If only he had been there by her side when she made her last stand.

But he had obeyed her request and gone to Windrunner Village to bring their family to safety. These days, he was regretting that he had listened to her. He should have stayed by her side and fought with her. He could have saved her if he had been there.

He knew he had had no other choice back then. It was his duty to always follow the orders of his superiors and Sylvanas had been his Ranger-General, so he had had no other choice than to obey her. He could have returned to the second gate once he had brought his family to Quel'Danas. That way, he may have saved her. He believed that at least.

His world had been turned upside down when Sylvanas died. His hopes and dreams had been shattered when Arthas struck her down and raised her to let her suffer. His life was no longer the same. He couldn't stop thinking of her while he had a clear head. All he could do was to drown his problems in alcohol and hope it would make things easier for him. It helped him but only a little. And only temporarily.

It didn't make him forget his problems but he didn't want to forget Sylvanas. He just wanted to come to terms with her death. He wanted to remember her without getting depressed. But it didn't work as he had hoped for. Thinking about her was still painful. Even all the good memories about her didn't help him in the long run. He couldn't stop thinking about her without feeling shattered. It was impossible to not grieve when thinking about her, no matter how hard he tried it. He was unable to get over her death.

Kelrian heard that the door was opened and a person came in. He still sat in his armchair and looked in the opposite direction, so he had no idea who had just entered the room. The person didn't move to him. They just stood next to the door and let their eyes wander.

"Father?" a familiar voice asked. Kelrian knew that his son wanted something from him. But he didn't react to him and just brought the bottle to his lips to take another sip, realizing that it was empty. The teenager was unable to recognize anything in the room, so he turned the light on, spotting his father who was sitting in his armchair which was surrounded by lots of empty bottles. The room was still a mess and even looked worse than the last time Raesh had entered it.

Raesh had no other choice than to stare at the floor while moving to prevent that he would stumble over one of these bottles. He reached the armchair, noticing that his father was about to open another bottle. Raesh thought about taking it out of his hands but he decided against it because he didn't want to make his father upset. He knew his father pretty well. He was not a violent person or someone who got angry pretty quickly. But he also knew that his father was not himself when was drunk. Raesh was smart enough to not provoke him. Instead, he tried to reach him with words, hoping he could stop him from drinking.

"Don't you think you drank enough, father? Raesh's voice was quiet and thin. His blue glowing eyes rested on his father's face. Recognizing him had become much harder over the past weeks. His hair was messy and greasy and he was unshaved. There was not enough hair on his chin to call it a , Kelrian looked much different with facial hair. Usually, he shaved regularly but since Sylvanas' death, he no longer cared for his looks.

Raesh assumed that the main reason for that was that he was too lazy to do that. Lazy was not the right word. Raesh would rather say that he was too busy drinking and mourning for his wife. He found no time to shave and no longer had the desire to pay attention to the way he looked. Maybe because he had always wanted to look good for Sylvanas and now that she was dead, he had no motivation to take care of his appearance. Raesh thought that at least.

It pained him to see his father in that state. He felt bad when seeing him suffering while trying to cope with the death of his beloved wife. Her death had also turned up Raesh's world and changed everything for him. But it hadn't hit him as hard as it had hit his father. He could understand that his father couldn't handle the pain.

His father knew his mother for nearly thirty years and they had been together for over eighteen years, so it was understandable that losing her had hit him had also lost many friends and most of the comrades he had worked with since he had been recruited. He had not only lost his wife, his mother-in-law but also a few of his closest friends.

Raesh had no idea how his father was feeling at the moment. But he assumed that the memories of the past and the things he had seen were haunting him. He wished he could help his father somehow but he had no idea how. He wished he would stop drinking but he didn't believe he would ever be able to convince him to do so.

There were many different ways to mourn people and deal with their deaths. Raesh had mourned for the ones he lost in a different way. He had remembered the good moments he had had with his mother and his grandmother. He had regarded photos of them and talked about them with his aunts and other members of his family. He was not over their deaths yet but he no longer felt very sad and shattered when thinking about them. It was still not easy to speak and think about them but it had become much better in the past weeks. He was able to speak about them without breaking out in tears.

His father, on the other hand, had chosen a different way to deal with the events of the past. Raesh knew his father's way was not the right way but there was nothing he could do for him. He refused to talk with him and he rarely left his room. He had only left the house to follow Elena somewhere. Raesh had no idea where he went but he guessed that nothing good had happened. His father had returned angrily and threw some of the empty bottles through his room. Glass shards were still lying on the floor because Kelrian had refused to pick them up.

"What do you want, Raesh?" Kelrian responded after a few minutes.

"I'm worried about you. You always told me that alcohol is no solution. Nevertheless, you have consumed so much alcohol in the past few weeks. Don't you think you should stop drinking and try to help our people to reconquer Quel'Thalas?"

Sad laughter escaped Kelrian's lips. "I offered them my aid but they didn't want it. They said I would only get myself killed and endanger the others if I join them. What should I do if they don't allow me to come with them?"

The boy raised an eyebrow, regarding his father closely. "I'm pretty sure they said that because you were drunk. They would allow you to help if you are sober and have a clear mind again."

"I'm not drunk," said Kelrian, trying to sound serious. He didn't succeed.

Raesh leaned forward and turned up his nose. He was hit by a strong smell of alcohol. "Your breath says the opposite."

"I'm still able to fight," Kelrian mumbled.

Raesh hesitated for a moment. "I doubt that, to be honest."

Kelrian titled his head, his eyes narrowed. Raesh's heart started to beat faster and his skin suddenly began to tingle. "Are you telling me you share their opinion? Do you agree with them?"

Raesh felt unwell while his father was staring at him with this dangerous look on his face. He had never looked at him like that before. It was obvious that Kelrian was upset even though his son hadn't done anything wrong. It was the alcohol that had made him behave like that.

Normally, he didn't get angry after exchanging a few words with anyone. The alcohol made him to a furious beast with a short fuse. But Kelrian was able to control himself at the last moment and prevent that the alcohol would make him do something he would never want to do. He managed to prevent to do anything he would regret later.

Raesh bit his bottom lip softly. "Well...Kinda. I think they made the right decision when they forbid you to join them as long as you are drunk. You'll only get hurt or worse. I don't want to lose you. I already lost mother and Lyndia. I don't know if Sylvera or grandma are still alive. I already lost enough people who were very important to me, so I can't lose you too. You can't do that to me, father..."

Kelrian was silent as he thought about Raesh's words. The young teenager just stood there in the meantime and regarded him. They remained silent, none of them had any idea what to say. The silence was unpleasant but they didn't break it. They were just staring at each other and did nothing else for a while. Kelrian cleared his throat eventually. "You are probably right."

Raesh nodded but didn't say anything in return.

"I promised your mother to protect you and move on. I failed her. I have no idea where Sylvera is and I spent the past weeks trying to drink my problems away instead of looking for her. I failed her. I failed you and I failed your mother. I'm so sorry, Raesh."

A small sympathetic smile appeared on Raesh's lips. He put his hand on his father's shoulder, patting it softly. "I wouldn't say you failed us but you didn't do anything to fulfil your promises. If you want to keep the promise you made to mother then you should join Prince Kael'thas as soon as you are sober again. You have to help our people to retake our home. I would help them if I could but the remaining Farstriders don't allow me to help. They said it's too dangerous for me."

"They are right," responded Kelrian without hesitation. "These creatures are dangerous. Many soldiers died in battle against them. Lots of experienced rangers, mages and soldiers died. "I am one of the few survivors of your mother's elite unit. Nathanos, Zetai and Velon died with her that day. I haven't seen them among the undead but your aunt confirmed that Arthas killed and raised them. Even Verena died and was turned into a banshee. Even the best of the best had no chance against the undead. It would be too dangerous for you. You are not even a recruit. You may have been trained by Sylvanas and me for years but you are still not ready to fight anyone, especially not these horrible creatures. I hope you can understand that."

His son gave him an understanding nod. "I do. You are right about everything you said. I wouldn't be able to do much against these creatures. But you can. That's why you have to get sober again and join Prince Kael'thas and the other volunteers."

Kelrian stood up and patted his son's back. "I know. I promise that from now on I will try to do the right things. I can't promise that I will always make the right choicesbut I will give my best."

Raesh smiled. "Thank you."

"No, I have to thank you," responded Kelrian and hugged his son. Raesh returned the hug, ignoring the strong smell of alcohol as best as he could. The hug had endured for nearly a minute as Kelrian pulled away and regarded his son from head to toe.

"Which day is it?" he asked curiously.

"The 18th of June."

"Your birthday."

Reash nodded, sadness was reflected in his eyes. "Sylvera's and my birthday."

Kelrian nodded silently, his eyes also reflected sadness and grief.

"We don't know if she is dead but we don't know if she is alive either."

"It's still your birthday, so we should celebrate it," Kelrian said.

"I'm not really in the mood to celebrate it," responded Reash and averted his gaze, looking at his feet. Kelrian sighed. "I can understand you. The past weeks have changed our lives drastically. But don't forget your mother's wishes. She wanted us to move on. That means we should celebrate your birthday. A little at least.

We don't have to throw a huge party like we usually do. That would be inappropriate during these dark and difficult times. Quel'Thalas lost nearly ninety percent of its population. We shouldn't throw a party. But we could spend the day together and celebrate your birthday and the fact that we still have each other that way. I'm sure Vereesa and Rhonin would join us. What would you say to that?"

Raesh made a thoughtful face for a few moments. "Sounds good to me. But you have to promise me first that you get sober again and join the others who are fighting for our homeland.

Kelrian smiled and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I will. Promised."


	19. The Corrupted Sunwell

A pleased smile appeared on his lips as the fire spread out quickly, consuming the bodies of half a dozen ghouls within a few moments. Nothing but ashes was left of their bodies when the flames were done with them. Fire was the most effective weapon against the undead. It killed them quickly and prevented them from being brought back again. The defenders' efforts would be meaningless if the necromancers would raise them again. Kael'thas had ordered his fellow mages to mainly use fire techniques and only use arcane and frost techniques to slow down the undead or to throw them away.

The Farstriders were firing fiery arrows at the undead while paladins consecrated areas of the ground and lured the undead into them. The weapons of the melee fighters had been blessed by paladins and priests, making them more effective against the undead.

Kael'thas and his men were fighting for days to reclaim Quel'Danas. They had needed an entire day to reach the Sunwell Plateau because lots of creatures had held them up but they had killed all of them in the end. Those who hadn't been killed and burned by fire techniques had been piled on a pyre and burned together.

At the moment, Kael'thas and his men were still trying to get in the palace but there were still too many undead creatures who didn't allow them to get close to the entrance. His scouts had reported to him that not too many undead were patrolling around the palace but they hadn't been able to get into the palace to find out how many undead creatures were there. It seemed several hundred of undead had hidden in the palace and were coming out over time.

Each creature they slew or burned was replaced by another. At least, all necromancers had been killed so no creature or fallen comrade could be brought back. Kael'thas had lost eight of his men since the beginning of the campaign and he was sure that more would fall. He just hoped their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. As long as they would reclaim the Sunwell and later the rest of Quel'Thalas, their sacrifices would be meaningful.

Kael'thas was thankful for every fighter who joined him. He may have less than a hundred fighters but they fought fiercely and killed lots of undead. There were still lots of fighters who were either wounded or still shocked by the events of the past weeks. They will recover sooner or later and join them. But for now, he only had less than one hundred.

Kael'thas was sure more will join sooner or later just like his secret son. Kelrian had come out of a portal near the Sunwell Plateau a day ago and was fighting fiercely ever since. Kael'thas was proud of him. Kelrian had managed to pull himself together and was now fighting by his side. Kael'thas was glad he was there because he was one of the most promising students he ever had. He had killed lots of undead so far and he would kill more and more. Kael'thas was sure of that.

Kelrian was more careful with his spells and saved as much mana as possible. He knew he would need every portion of his mana, so he didn't waste it unnecessarily. Instead of killing only two or three undead at the same time, he always made sure that at least five or six creatures were hit by his fire techniques.

Pillars of fire, exploding fireballs and fire spheres that jumped from creature to creature were pretty useful in killing lots of undead creatures at the same time. The mages had also conjured mana food the spellcasters could consume to refresh their mana. Mana food and mana potions were very important in this campaign. Without them, the mages, priests and other spellcasters wouldn't be able to fight for days because they would run out of mana rather quickly.

The high elves needed every advantage they could get. Their number was not large enough for the prince's likingand all elves felt weakened for some reason. Kael'thas still had no idea why they felt that way.

He could only assume that it had something to do with the Sunwell. Their current goal was to reach the fount of energy and find out what was wrong with it. They had to find out why the Sunwell was not providing them with enough power. They needed the power of the Sunwell more than ever in these dark times.

Kael'thas drew power from his spellblade and the amulet around his neck, igniting the creatures that stood in front of him. He threw them away with a shock wave, preventing that they could reach him and ignite him as well. They burned to death before they were able to do anything, but they were replaced quickly. There was even an abomination among those who had just stepped out of the palace.

The abomination looked much more dangerous than any other abomination the high elves had fought against. It was a lot larger and had four arms instead of just three. It carried four different weapons in its hands. A cleaver, a mace, an axe and a large column it had torn out. The creature roared out loudly and sprinted in the prince's direction but its feet were frozen to the ground by Kelrian and Magister Rommath.

Somehow, the creature managed to get free and started running again. It was pretty fast for an abomination and reached the prince who jumped to the side and avoided getting hit by the cleaver at the last moment. The abomination tried to hit him again, Kael'thas dodged three of its weapons but he got hit by the column. The barrier, a priest had wrapped around his body, was shattered but absorbed the damage that would have been done. Kael'thas was just thrown away and landed on the ground, a painful hiss escaped his lips as he got up and rubbed his aching back with one hand.

The abomination ran towards him once again but a thick wall of ice was created between it and the elven prince. The creature started to hack at the wall, shattering it within less than thirty seconds. The surrounding mages cast frost techniques to slow it down, the Farstriders fired fiery arrows at the creature's head. A massive pyroblast hit the creature and burned a huge hole in its back. The abomination stopped immediately and turned around, a loud scream escaped its ugly mouth. Its bloodshot eyes fell on the man who had created the pyroblast.

Kelrian's eyes widened as he realized that he had drawn the creature's focus on him. It was coming for him but that meant that Kael'thas was no longer forced to run away from the creature. He could focus on his spellwork and hurt the creature as much as possible. He and the other mages fired their most powerful spells at the creature, rangers like Elena and Alleria fired hails of arrows at the creature's head.

Kelrian ran away from the creature, slowed it down and even teleported away when it had come too close to him. He ran away from it until it was no longer able to move. Its badly wounded legs were no longer able to carry its weight. It collapsed and landed on its back, squashing a few ghouls beneath it. It was not dead. Not yet, but it will be dead soon. Flames started to consume its body. The flames spread out too slowly for the liking of the high elves who held it on the ground with the help of magic. The creature was much tougher than it looked like but its body was turned to ashes eventually.

The elves had no time to cheer or take a break because there were still too many undead creatures out there. Three days had passed and Kael'thas had lost seven more men but at least they had finally gotten rid of the forces that had guarded the entrance of the palace. His brave mount Al'ar had flown over the undead and set them on fire with its fiery breath. The phoenix was the main reason why they had managed to kill the remaining undead without losing more than seven men.

Kael'thas hoped that there weren't too many undead in the palace. His men were exhausted and would need a break soon. He knew they wouldn't hold out for too long, so he could only hope that the remaining undead inside the palace would fall quickly.

Kael'thas and his forces entered the palace and walked through the main corridor. They met more than twenty undead but they managed to kill them quickly and burn their bodies. They continued to walk through the corridor. As the prince had hoped for, not many undead remained in the palace. His unit managed to take them out quickly and reached the Sunwell eventually.

Kael'thas eyes widened as he spotted a familiar body next to the Sunwell. He didn't hesitate to rush over to it and kneel down next to it. He had known that his father was dead but it still shocked him to see his defiled corpse. His right leg was separated and laid next to his body. Dried blood stuck on the floor beneath him. Kael'thas was sure that it was his father's blood. Anasterian's eyes were closed, his skin was pale and his armour was heavily damaged and covered by the blood of his enemies.

The corpse had already started to decay because Arthas had left it there untouched. Kael'thas was glad that Arthas hadn't raised his father. He could have done it and sullied his father's name and reputation by forcing him to murder the people he had sworn to protect but he hadn't.

Kael'thas was glad about that but that was just a little consolation. Kael'thas would never forget that Arthas murdered his father, his step-mother, Sylvanas and most high elves. He will never forgive him for leaving Quel'Thalas in ruins and killed so many people. Kael'thas had sworn revenge and he would do anything to get it. He had made it his mission to kill Arthas Menethil personally. He wouldn't stop until Arthas would be dead. He will bring him down no matter what it would cost.

Kael'thas was grieving as he stared at his father's corpse. Anasterian looked so peaceful while lying there. He had done nothing wrong do deserve this fate. He had always been a good king and always thought of his people and his kingdom first. He had always put the interests of his people above his own. He had been the best king Quel'Thalas ever had since Dath'Remar Sunstrider, the first king of the high elves who was Anasterian's great-grandfather.

Kael'thas was certain he would never be as good as his father. He had never been interested in taking the crown and becoming the king of Quel'Thalas. But now that his father was dead, he had to be the king once Quel'Danas and Silvermoon City were back under their control.

He was the rightful heir of the throne. It was his duty to become the king and lead his people in these dark times. He didn't feel ready to become the king but he had no other choice. His people needed a leader. A man they could look up to. They need a leader who would give them hope and would promise them that everything will turn out well.

Kael'thas was not sure if that would be the case nor did he know if he would be a good king. But he would give his best and try to be the king his people needed. He wanted to make his ancestors proud of him by leading his people in these dark times.

He regarded his father's corpse a bit longer, then he lowered his head and placed a kiss on his father's forehead. He stood up, regarded the corpse for a few more moments before he ordered his men to bring it to Dalaran and preserve it as best as possible.

He didn't say anything else. His gaze wandered to his secret son who didn't know that they had just retrieved the body of his grandfather. Kelrian believed that his father was a random guy his mother had met in a pub. He couldn't know that his father was the prince of Quel'Thalas who would soon become king. He couldn't know that royal blood flowed through his veins and that he would become the prince of Quel'Thalas when his father would be crowned.

Kelrian came closer and stopped next to his father who was examining the Sunwell with narrowed eyes. The colour of the liquid inside the fount was no longer golden but dark purple, almost black. The aura that was radiated by it was not mighty but oppressive. Being near the Sunwell didn't feel good anymore. Looking at it and feeling its aura was unpleasant for every elf in the room. They felt sick and much weaker than before. The Sunwell was corrupted. It made them sick and stole their powers.

Kael'thas realized that the fount of energy, that had once made his people stronger and guaranteed them long lives, was now doing the entire opposite. It stole their powers and their life essence slowly. It made them weaker and shortened their lifespans. The corruption was the reason why Kael'thas and his men had become weaker over the past weeks. And they would become much weaker if they wouldn't do anything about it.

Kael'thas knew what he had to do. He didn't like it but there was nothing else he could do to guarantee the survival of the remaining high elves. If there would be another option, he would most likely choose it over the only option he had at the moment. He would like to do anything but to destroy the Sunwell. But he had no other choice. He had no other choice than destroying the fount of energy that had existed since the foundation of Quel'Thalas.

It was the oldest thing that stood in Quel'Thalas and had been the main source of power for the high elves for nearly seven thousand years. Kael'thas had no idea what they would do after its destruction but he didn't have the time to think about finding another source of energy at this moment. The Sunwell had to be destroyed as soon as possible if he wanted to protect his people. Then he could think about a replacement.

Kael'thas turned his head, looking at Kelrian and Magister Rommath. "The Sunwell is corrupted, isn't it?" asked his son.

A sad sigh escaped the prince's lips as he nodded. "We have to destroy it."

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe what the prince had just said. Rommath, on the other hand, remained calm and didn't seem to be surprised. He had come to the same conclusion as the prince. He knew they had no other choice than to destroy it.

"The Sunwell is poisoning our people. It will kill them slowly if we don't destroy it."

"But what will sustain us if we destroy the mightiest source of power we have?" Kelrian asked. It was clearly visible that he was not convinced by the idea.

"We will find a solution later but now we have to destroy it as soon as we can. I don't want to destroy it either but we have no other choice," responded Kael'thas.

Rommath looked at Kelrian. "The prince is right. The Sunwell will kill us slowly if we don't do anything about it. It has to be destroyed."

Kelrian nodded hesitantly. "I see," he said quietly.

"Would you help me to destroy it?" Kael'thas asked Rommath and his son. Rommath nodded immediately. Kelrian hesitated for a few moments but then he nodded too. "I will do anything necessary to save our people and reclaim our home."

Kael'thas gave his secret son a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Rommath wanted to ask the prince if he had any idea how to destroy the Sunwell but the second leader of the scouts came to the prince at that moment and signalized him that he had important news. "What is it?" asked Kael'thas.

"We spotted a few dozen Amani trolls near the palace. They are currently fighting the undead but we have no doubt that they are coming for us once they dealt with them. I assume they want the Sunwell. They may think they could use it as a weapon against us."

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed and anger appeared in them. "We have enough problems with the undead already and now these degenerated creatures are interfering. That's all we needed." The sarcasm was clearly hearable in his voice.

"What should we do now?" asked the scout whose name was Mel'ron. He had belonged to Sylvanas' regiment and had been one of her most trusted scouts. Half of his left ear was missing but other than that he was uninjured.

Kael'thas made a thoughtful face. He turned to Alleria who had just approached them and stood next to her second-in-command. "You need to keep the Amani busy as long as possible. I will send someone to you when we are almost done. You need to lure the trolls in the room and then get as far away as possible. Let's hope the Sunwell's destruction will kill them all. These nasty creatures are causing problems to our people since the foundation of Quel'Thalas. I thought we defeated them fifteen years ago but it seems I was wrong. They are back and they won't hesitate to kill us. But we will make them understand that it was a mistake to attack us."

Alleria nodded. "I like that plan."

Kael'thas gave her a small smile. "I wish you good luck, Captain."

Alleria smirked. "I don't need any luck. I'm skilled enough to deal with these beasts. So are my rangers."

"I don't doubt you," responded Kael'thas. "We will meet again in front of Magisters' Terrace when this is over."

Alleria nodded. "See you soon, my prince."

"See you soon, Ranger-Captain."

Kael'thas' eyes rested on Alleria until something caught his attention. A certain object he had thought to be lost. Elena held a box in her hands in which two pieces of a certain runeblade laid. Kael'thas' eyes widened as he saw the remains of the legendary sword that had been forged by his great-great-grandfather.

He had never thought that Felo'melorn could be shattered. It belonged to his family for nearly seven millennia and had never been damaged or destroyed in a fight. It had served his family well and tasted the blood of thousands of enemies. But there it was. Shattered in two pieces.

Kael'thas regarded it for a few moments, then he looked up at the ranger. "Where did you find it?"

"In the dustbin at the end of the room."

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed, he gritted his teeth. "That bastard did not only kill my parents, left my family's legacy in ruins but also dishonoured the most powerful blade our people possess. But at least that arrogant piece of shit didn't take it with him. That way, we can restore it and use it again. It will be pretty useful against the undead."

"What shall I do with it?" the pink-haired woman asked.

Kael'thas' gaze fell on the portal through which the corpse of his father had been brought. He took the box and gave it to Mel'ron. "You will bring it to my room in Dalaran."

The scout nodded. "As you wish, my prince."

Kael'thas waited until the scout had stepped through the portal, then he looked at Elena. "You should join Ranger-Captain Alleria."

"I will," responded the woman. She looked at Kelrian, stared into his eyes for a few moments and gave him a small smile.

Kelrian returned the smile. "Be careful, Elena."

Her smile became wider and her heart began to beat faster than before. "I will. Stay safe, Kel."

Kelrian nodded and patted her shoulder while staring into her eyes. Elena stepped away after a few moments and ran to the exit, leaving the room quickly. Kael'thas waited until everyone who was not a mage had left the room.

He pulled three objects out of a small bag. Kelrian had no idea what these objects were, so he couldn't know what they were good for. Rommath knew about them but he chose to let the prince explain their purpose. "These are the three mooncrystals. Arthas used them to deactivate Ban'dinoriel but he didn't take them with him nor did he destroy them. Each of them still contained a large amount of power and we can use their powers to overcharge the Sunwell and destroy it that way."

"Will we have enough time to escape once we overcharged it?"

Kael'thas hesitated for a moment. "I hope so. I can't promise anything. We have to take that risk, otherwise, the Sunwell will continue to poison our people."

Kelrian nodded. "Seems we have no other choice. I'm in, your majesty."

Kael'thas turned his head and looked around. "Is everyone ready?"

The gathered mages nodded.

Kael'thas handed the first mooncrystal, an emerald, to Rommath and the second, an amethyst, to Kelrian. He kept the sapphire for himself.

"Gather around the Sunwell and repeat what I say," ordered Kael'thas. The mages didn't hesitate to do what he had said. They took positions and looked at him expectantly. Kael'thas took his spellblade in one hand and the crystal in the other. He closed his eyes and started to speak phrases in ancient thalassian, holding the crystal towards the Sunwell.

Kelrian and Rommath did the same with their crystals, repeating his words like every other mage. They drained power from the mooncrystals and gave it to the Sunwell, while the other mages drained power out of their bodies, their spellblades or other magical items they had with them.

The elves fed power to the Sunwell, loading it slowly. They gave more and more power, only stopping when they had spent all of their reserves. Kelrian noticed that the more time passed, the more mages stopped channelling. Those who had stopped looked pretty exhausted and struggled to stay on their feet. After quite some time, Kelrian, Rommath and Kael'thas were the only ones who were still feeding mana to the Sunwell.

Kelrian had no idea how much mana they would have to give to overcharge the Sunwell. He could only hope they would be finished soon because he had noticed that the Sunwell had started to drain mana from his body. It seemed that the Sunwell had consumed all power that had been stored in the mooncrystal he was holding.

The Sunwell was not only draining his mana but was also causing pain to him at the same time. But Kelrian was able to bear it. The pain became stronger, painful noises escaped his lips but he continued to feed his mana to the Sunwell.

Rommath and even Kael'thas had similar expressions on their faces. The Sunwell was hurting them too but that didn't stop them from giving everything they got. Kael'thas sent out one of the mages to inform the rangers outside the place as soon as he noticed that the Sunwell had become unstable.

The mage didn't hesitate to leave the room. Kael'thas could only hope that the explosion's radius wouldn't be too large. He hoped the others wouldn't be too close to the plateau when the Sunwell would explode.

A few more minutes passed in which nothing noteworthy happened. Kelrian got the impression that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer but he kept channelling. Suddenly, a golden ray of light came out of the Sunwell, burned a hole through the ceiling and shot into the sky. "It will explode soon. Go through the portal NOW," Kael'thas shouted.

The mages didn't hesitate to sprint to the portal and walk through it. "We are so close...Just a bit more mana...," whispered the prince.

Kelrian turned his head as he heard footsteps. He spotted several troll berserkers in the entrance. The Amani were here and they wouldn't hesitate to attack them.

"We must go now," shouted Kelrian and stopped channelling.

"Just a bit more... I need more time," shouted Kael'thas. Kelrian's gaze fell on Rommath who had also stopped feeding the remains of his power to the Sunwell.

"We have to get out of there, Prince Kael'thas," shouted Rommath and started to run towards the prince. Kelrian did the same and pushed prince aside, preventing him from getting hit by an axe at the last moment. The connection between Kael'thas and the Sunwell ended as he landed on the floor.

He got up, anger was reflected by his face but it disappeared quickly when he realized how serious the situation was. The trolls were not far away from them. The quel'dorei mages had no other choice than to leave the room if they wanted to survive. Otherwise, the trolls would get them and do unspeakable things to them.

Kael'thas used the last remains of his power to create a barrier around the three of them which blocked spells, arrows, spears and axes the trolls threw at them. The elves managed to reach the portal and jump through it at the last moment before it was closed. They came out of the other side of the portal, that was closed a few seconds later, and landed on the ground. They remained there for a few minutes, allowing the priests to treat them.

Kelrian got up as soon as his body had stopped hurting and turned his gaze to the west, looking at the golden ray of pure energy that hit the sky. The ray became much brighter and thicker quickly, exploding after a few moments.

A small smile could be seen on Kael'thas' lips as he stared at the horizon. "We did it."


	20. The Dead Scar

The evening dawned, the air was cold and it was drizzling. No animals could be heard. No birds were twittering, no squirrels were rushing over the branches or jumping from tree to tree. There were no signs of animals in the dead forest in front of the camp that had been erected an hour ago. Guards were positioned around the camp and looked out for undead creatures. Every ten feet a large torch was placed in the ground to illuminate the surroundings. That way, the camp was well enough lit so that everyone saw where they were going.

In the middle of the camp was a bonfire that wouldn't extinguish if the rain would become stronger because it had been created by magic. Several high elves and even a few humans, who had volunteered to aid them in this crisis, were sitting around it. Kelrian sat on one of the chairs, he and the other mages had conjured, and held his hands in front of the bonfire, warming them that way.

His gaze rested on the flames at first but then he averted it and let it wander around. He took a quick look at the others around the campfire. He spotted three quel'dorei women who were sitting together. Two of them were Farstriders like him while the other was a warrior who wore thick plate armour. Not far away from them sat a male quel'dorei and a female human. The elf had dark brown skin while the human had light skin. Kelrian regarded them for a few minutes, assuming that they were a couple. They were holding hands and pressing their bodies together to keep themselves warm.

Kelrian was happy for them. After everything they went through, they had each other at least. They could give each other hope and enough strength to live on. He assumed that they were helping each other to come to terms with everything that had happened. He assumed it was much easier to get through every single day with a beloved person by their side **.** Love was the strongest bond that existed. Their love for each other would help them to persevere their sanity. Their strong bond would make sure they wouldn't fall into a depression in these dark times.

Although Kelrian was happy to see them being there for each other, it pained him to watch them at the same time. They reminded him of the relationship he had had with Sylvanas. Seeing them behaving like a normal couple reminded him of the good times he had spent with Sylvanas.

He couldn't help but think of her every time he saw a happy couple. He missed her. He knew she wasn't really dead but she was not herself anymore He would never get the woman he had once loved back. The creature who had tried to kill him was nothing more than a mere shadow of Sylvanas' former self. The Sylvanas he had loved was gone and there was no way to get her back.

Kelrian had promised her to move on but that was easier said than done. He couldn't stop thinking of her. He couldn't banish her out of his head. He thought of her often. Too often for his liking. He had to move on and accept that she would never return. But he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried to forget her, she always reappeared in his thoughts. He even saw her in his dreams. And in his nightmares.

He had seen visions of her death. He had seen her killing quel'dorei who had been running from her. He had witnessed nightmares where she had killed him. Sometimes quickly. Sometimes slowly and painfully. Such dreams and nightmares didn't occur often but still too often for his liking. They didn't haunt him every single night like the nightmares he had after witnessing his friends and comrades getting burned by dragon fire. His current nightmares weren't as bad as the nightmares he had fifteen years ago.

He still wanted to have them gone but he had no idea how. He didn't want to take the mixture the troll shaman Sen'za had recommended him fifteen years ago because he knew that it would make him addicted. He didn't want to get addicted again. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop taking it regularly when he would take the first potion. He had decided to not take it as long as he would still be able to bear the nightmares and the visions he saw.

The horrible visions of the past. He hadn't spoken about them to anyone. He had no proof that these were visions and not just nightmares. Nevertheless, he was convinced that it was possible that he saw visions because he had seen Sylvanas fighting Arthas before the death knight had arrived in Quel'Thalas.

He knew he would have to talk to someone about it. Maybe to his master. Kael'thas was a very wise man, so Kelrian hoped he could help him somehow. But he did not want to bother the prince with his problems as long as Silvermoon City was still occupied by the undead. Once they got the capital city back under their control, he would consider seeking Kael'thas' advice. Until then, he had to bear the nightmares.

Kelrian took the bottle from the ground, removed the lit and brought the opening to his lips. He took a large sip, closed it again and put it back on the ground. The liquid was so delicious that he wanted to drink more but he managed to resist the urge to empty the whole bottle at once. It was the only bottle he had, so he didn't empty it in one go because he knew he wouldn't get another. It was all he had for this day, so he had to be careful with it.

He couldn't go without alcohol but he had managed to get control over his cravings and learned how to be careful with his supplies. That wouldn't have been possible without the help of a certain person who had been there for him over the past weeks and had become more and more important to him.

She had been there for him and helped him to deal with the past and his problems. She had tried her best and succeeded at some points. He was still not over Sylvanas' death but he was making progress. It wouldn't be easy for him but he had to accept it one day. He had promised Sylvanas to move on and live his life. He hadn't been able to keep his promise to bring Sylvera and Lyndia to safety, so he wanted to keep this promise at least.

It pained him to think about his daughter who was still missing. Lots of people assumed her to be dead but Kelrian didn't. He was still hoping that she was still alive and somewhere safe **.** But his hope became weaker and weaker with each day that passed without him hearing from her. Hope was all he had left and he wouldn't stop hoping for the best outcome, no matter how low the chances were.

He was still an optimist. At least he tried to be one most of the time. Sometimes, it was pretty hard to stay optimistic and not become pessimistic. At least Elena was there for him and reminded him to stay positive. As positive as the situation allowed.

The aforesaid woman came to him at this very moment and sat down on the chair next to him. She carried two bowls of soup and handed one to Kelrian who gave her a thankful nod. He noticed the small smile on her lips as he averted his gaze and looked at the content of the was just a normal potato soup, nothing extraordinary. "Is that everything we get today?" he asked and looked back at the pink-haired woman.

Elena gave him a small nod. "Ranger-Captain Alleria told the cooks to use the leftovers from yesterday to make something decent to eat. She wanted the mages to save their mana for tomorrow."

"What will we do tomorrow?" he asked interested.

"We will enter Silvermoon City and free it from the undead."

"Alleria is right. We will need every portion of our mana for the next few days. Retaking the capital city won't be easy," said Kelrian and put a spoon full of soup in his mouth. The potato soup tasted not as good as the soups Lireesa used to make but it was good enough. All that mattered was that Kelrian could eat something and wouldn't have to starve. He still preferred the food mages like him could conjure but he knew that Alleria was right. The mages would need all of their mana for the following days. Conjuring enough food for nearly two hundred men would cost too much mana. Using the leftovers to make soup was the best solution.

"I lost count on how many undead we killed over the past weeks. We killed so many but there are still too many in Quel'Thalas. It wouldn't surprise me if more than a thousand undead creatures would be scattered all over Silvermoon," said Elena and ate a few spoons of soup.

"As long as they are not a united army, we should be fine. I'm sure we will kill them all without losing too many comrades if they are scattered all over Silvermoon."

"It won't be easy. Since the destruction of the Sunwell, we quel'dorei feel much weaker than before. We will need all of our reserves to free Silvermoon City from the Scourge."

Kelrian nodded. "I'm no longer able to cast as many spells as I usually could. Without the Sunwell that provides us with power, all of my spells drain much more mana. Spellcasters like me are suffering the most. At least I have my bow in case I run out of mana."

"Since the destruction, I feel much weaker and I get exhausted much faster. I can't fight as long as I used to without pauses. The loss of the Sunwell makes fighting the Scourge much harder than I thought. Before the Sunwell's destruction, we never realized how dependant we are on arcane energies." replied Elena.

"I fear what the absence of the Sunwell's power will do to us. We have always lived with the power of the Sunwell running through our veins. Some of us had lived for thousands of years thanks to the Sunwell. Our bodies are dependent on the Sunwell. I'm worried about what will happen to us and if we will change without the Sunwell's power. The future worries me. We have so many problems, there are so many things we have to do. We have to free Quel'Thalas, fight the Scourge and find Arthas to make him pay for what he did to our kingdom and our loved ones. But most importantly, we have to survive."

"Surviving is our most important goal," said Elena quietly. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "Everything's going to be fine. We just have to believe in ourselves, we must stand together and be there for each other. We can only survive if we work together. Arthas will pay for his crimes one day but first, we have to retake what is ours and rebuilt our once beautiful kingdom."

"I wonder where the path we follow will lead us. I'm curious what will await us at the end."

"So am I," replied Elena and took his hand. "But we will walk this path together. I won't leave your side. I will help you as best as I can and we will find a solution to your problems. You can always count on me."

Kelrian smiled. "Thank you, Elena. That means a lot to me. It's always good to have a friend like you."

"Friend...," repeated Elena quietly. Sadness and disappointment were reflected in her eyes but she looked at her feet. That way, Kelrian was not able to look into her eyes and find out that Elena was not happy that he had just called her a friend.

"Is something wrong?" Kelrian asked. An eyebrow was raised and a frown was visible on his forehead as he regarded her curiously. Elena looked up and gave him a slightly overdone smile. "No, I'm good."

The ranger-mage tilted his head a little but said nothing at first. He regarded her for a few moments and then looked back at his bowl which was almost empty. "If you say so."

They were silent in the following minutes. The silence was unpleasant so Kelrian decided to break it eventually. He had no idea what he should say so he decided to start with small talk. "How are you doing?"

Elena looked up at him again. "I'm good. And you?"

"To be honest, it could be better but I'm feeling much better than before I joined you and the others. Thanks to you, I'm feeling better. I'm not sure if I already said it but I'm glad to have you by my side." Kelrian squeezed her hand and smiled at her, noticing that she blushed a little. She bit her bottom lip softly and ran her thumb over the back of his hand.

Kelrian wanted to remove his hand but Elena didn't let it go and he allowed her to hold it even though he knew that she was still feeling something for him. He didn't want to hurt her, so he didn't say anything and allowed her to hold his hand as long as she wanted. They sat on their chairs for a while and talked about lots of things. Mostly about the past and the future.

They got up when the first signs of tiredness occurred. They walked over to their tents, staring at each other for a few moments. "I wish you a good night, Elena," said Kelrian and suppressed a yawn.

"I hope you won't have any nightmares that night. I will enter your tent and try to calm you down if I notice anything."

Kelrian gave her a small smile. "Thanks for taking care of me."

Elena returned his smile "No problem." She stepped on her tiptoes and kissed his left cheek softly, her lips almost met the corner of his mouth. "Sleep tight, Kel," were her last words before she walked to her tent, which was right next to his, and entered it.

* * *

Silvermoon City, the once glorious capital of Quel'Thalas was nothing more than a mere shadow of its former self. Tall walls made out of white concrete had once surrounded the huge city and protected them from any threats. Turrets and other tall buildings had towered over the walls and pierced the sky. Green grassland and lots of trees and smaller forests had surrounded the gorgeous city. The roads that led to the city had always been overcrowded just like the streets in the city. Silvermoon City had always been visited by lots of citizens of Quel'Thalas but also by many traders, businessmen and other people. It had been by far the most popular place of Quel'Thalas. The heart of Quel'Thalas.

The royal family had lived there in Sunstrider Spire and ruled over the kingdom together with the Council of Silvermoon. They had always made sure that their people were lacking nothing and were protected from any threats. The safety and well-being of the quel'dorei had always been the main goal of the rulers. They had always tried to protect their people by every means. It had worked for nearly seven thousand years but then they had facedan enemy they had not been able to stop.

The Scourge had left this once glorious city in ruins. The gate was totally destroyed, so were most parts of the walls. The vegetation around the city had died and no animal could be found near the city because they had fled out of the area before the Scourge had reached it. No living creatures were walking through the streets of Silvermoon. The only creatures that were there were the undead who were wandering around senselessly and attacked anyone who crossed them.

The remains of burned bodies and lots of dried blood were scattered all over the ground. There were lots of knocked out teeth, separated limbs, heads and other body parts. Rotten flesh, broken and undamaged bones, weapons, armour pieces and many other items and objects were scattered all over the ground.

The streets were devasted and so were the houses and other buildings. The entire city was devastated. It was clearly visible that a massacre had taken place there. Those whose bodies hadn't been burned were still wandering around and didn't even care that parts of their bodies were missing. The fallen citizens of Quel'Thalas had been raised and turned into mindless undead creatures whose only desire was to cause pain to the living and feast on their flesh. The insatiable hunger was the fuel that drove them. Their only purpose was to kill the living.

Kelrian had known some of the fallen personally. It was hard to recognize them from afar but the closer he got to the undead the easier it was for him to recognize some of them. They had changed significantly. Their skin had become as white as chalk, their hair had either lost colour or turned white. Their eyes were ice blue, parts of their skin were missing, so their bones could be seen. Some bones were sticking out of their flesh but the creatures didn't care. Most of them were still able to walk and attack anyone who would come too close to them. Some were still pretty fast while others were very slow.

Kelrian and the other members of his group killed the fast ones first before they took out the slow ones. It pained him to kill the former high elves but he knew he was doing them a favour by ending their suffering and releasing them from Arthas' service.

They were not the only creatures that occupied Silvermoon. There were ghouls, skeletons, nerubians, abominations, liches and lots of other wicked creatures that served the Scourge. Kelrian knew it wouldn't be easy to retake the city but it must be done. He could only hope their losses wouldn't be too high.

Kelrian looked at the leader of the group who was checking the surroundings. The nearly two hundred men, Kael'thas had gathered, had been split into six groups that were invading Silvermoon City from different positions. Alleria was the leader of the group Kelrian was part of. Magister Rommath, Ranger-Captain Lor'themar, Ranger-Captain Halduron, High Priestess Liadrin and Prince Kael'thas were leading the other groups.

Alleria's group had been ordered to kill all undead in front of the gate before they would walk through it and kill every creature that was wandering around on the part of the Dead Scar that started at the fallen gates of Silvermoon and ended at the north coast.

The Dead Scar was the blighted path Arthas and his undead had left behind when they had marched through Quel'Thalas. The survivors had chosen this name because it was like a scar that would never disappear and always remind the inhabitants of Quel'Thalas of the past. They doubted that the Dead Scar could ever be cleansed, so they were sure that no plant or any other form of vegetation will ever grow on the black, dead soil.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Elena who had a tense expression on her face. Her body was tense too but she relaxed a little as she noticed that Kelrian looked at her. She didn't need to force herself to smile because Kelrian's presence always comforted her and gave her strength. The longer she stared into his eyes, the less she wanted to avert her gaze.

She would stare into his eyes until the end of time if she could. For her, Kelrian's eyes belonged to the most beautiful parts of his body. She wished she could stare into his eyes much longer but she knew that this was not the right moment to do that. They were on a mission. A very important mission. She had to remain focused and couldn't allow getting distracted even for a brief moment could mean her death or the death of her comrades. She pulled herself together, averted her gaze and looked at the group leader.

Alleria cleared her throat, catching the attention of her men that way. Kelrian, Elena and the others were looking at her, curiosity and expectation were reflected by their faces.

"We have waited long enough," shouted Alleria loud enough so that everyone could hear her. "It's our task to clear this part of the Dead Scar so I suggest that we split up in groups of eight and take care of the scattered undead. Kill any necromancers first and burn the bodies of every single creature, if you can. Lure away the weaker creatures from the stronger ones and kill them first. Then you attack the stronger ones. Be careful and don't get yourselves killed."

The groups were created quickly. Kelrian found himself in Alleria's group to which also Elena, the dark-skinned male elf with the name Fanomar and his human lover Valerie, a human paladin whose name was Marcus, a high elf who had introduced himself as Vandiril and was one of the few Silvermoon Guards who had survived the invasion, and a dwarf with a long grey beard belonged. He carried a rifle with a wide muzzle and wore leather clothes. He always had his wolf by his side. The dwarf was a hunter and his name was Dolfron.

Kelrian waited for Alleria's signal, following her with the others. They marched towards the main gate, which double doors were shattered and had been thrown out of their hinges, killing the creatures on their way with ease. They came to the gate, noticing that numerous creatures were gathered there. There were only skeletons or ghouls. No abominations, no necromancers and no liches. Only lesser creatures.

These undead creatures may be superior in numbers but they were not pretty smart. They didn't walk to Alleria's unit as a united group, instead, they came closer one after one. That way, Alleria's unit had no problems dealing with them.

Fiery arrows flew through the air, fireballs and ice blasts were cast, weapons were swung, the holy light was used to burn the undead, bullets pierced through flesh and bones and sharp fangs and claws tore apart the limbs of the undead made unrecognizable sounds, lots of blood was sprayed, bodies were set on fire and turned to ashes. The group was very effective, so was every other group, and took out lots of undead creatures in a short amount of time.

Each group member let their anger out on these ugly, mindless creatures. None of them felt uncomfortable killing creatures that still looked humanoid. The elves and humans didn't shrink back from killing creatures that had once been their brothers and sisters. They knew they were doing them a favour by releasing them from the service of the death knight.

There was nothing worse than being forced to serve that butcher for all eternity. A quick death was a gift to any of these mindless creatures that wandered around all day and all night and did nothing but searching for creatures they could feed on. The groups knew they had to kill every single undead creature in Silvermoon if they wanted to reclaim it, so they kept fighting and fighting and only made small pauses every few hours.

The groups were advancing slowly, too slowly for Alleria's liking, but they managed to take out every creature that approached them without losing anyone. All members of Alleria's entire unit were still alive at the end of the second day. Some were injured but these injuries weren't fatal. The priests and paladins were doing their best to heal the wounded. The light was reliable and gave its wielders the power to even heal bad looking flesh wounds. They were able to treat ghoul bites and prevented that the wounds would inflame or fester.

Kelrian noticed that fighting the undead was much more difficult and much more exhausting than it had been before the destruction of the Sunwell. He was no longer able to kill more than a dozen creatures at the same time. He had only been able to kill six creatures at maximum with a fireball that was much smaller than the ones he used to create. He had to use more of his mana to cast the same spells and their effectiveness was much lower than before.

The groups needed more time dealing with medium-sized groups of undead. Nevertheless, Alleria's unit was making progress. More and more undead were killed and burned and the groups came closer to the centre of the city. Or what was left of it. Alleria's unit had fought for another day before they reached the area where the huge market square of Silvermoon had once stood.

No stalls, shops or building could be found there. The pieces of rubble that were scattered over the barren ground were the only remains of the marketplace that had always been overcrowded in the past. The only creatures that were walking around there were members of the Scourge. Lots of them were there and all of them will fall at the end of the day. Alleria hoped that at least. Her men had taken a rest and their blood was boiling. They were looking forward to extinguishing the undead and release their enslaved brethren from their suffering that way.

Alleria hadn't lost a single member of her unit yet. But when she took a closer look at the gathered undead she realized that it was likely that not everyone would get out alive. She didn't want to jinx it but her gut feeling told her that some will die. She could only hope for the best outcome. She trusted her men. She trusted herself. She was certain they would be victorious and kill every single undead creature in this part of the Dead Scar.

The groups had come together again so that they would fight as one unit. Alleria nocked an arrow, signalizing the other rangers to do the same. The archers aimed at the undead, the spellcasters prepared spells and those warriors, paladins and other melee fighters who had shields held them in front of their bodies. Those who had no shields and just one or two weapons raised them and made themselves ready for combat.

The undead weren't moving yet nor did they look in their direction. Alleria put two fingers in her mouth, whistling loudly. Some undead turned around and were greeted by a hail of arrows and lots of spells. Lots of undead were set on fire. The corners of Alleria's lips formed a small smile as the flames spread quickly and consumed more and more creatures.

The creatures started running towards their attackers but the mages slowed them down and even froze their feet to the ground. There was a lich that tried to counter the spells of the living and free the creatures that were obeying its commands. Alleria knew that they had to kill the lich as fast as possible, so she ordered half of the mages to take care of it.

Kelrian obeyed her and drained power from his spellblade, creating a fireball which he threw at the lich without hesitation. The lich managed to protect itself by wrapping an ice block around its skeletal body. An arcane blast hit the ice block, causing the ice to crack. Another spell hit it, making the cracks larger and deeper. Alleria knew that the ice block wouldn't hold out for too long.

She looked at Kelrian, receiving a nod from him. Her brother-in-law spent a large portion of his mana to create an arcane blast. He threw it at the ice block once Alleria nodded. The ice block shattered, revealing the defenceless lich. The skeletal mage had no chance to cast a spell because Alleria's perfectly timed arrow hit its head. The arrow shot by Alleria was not a normal arrow. It was blessed by the light. Golden glowing symbols were carved in the arrow's tip that stuck in the lich's skull.

The holy light that was stored in the arrow poured out and hurt the lich pretty badly. It was unable to focus on casting a spell, so it tried to disappear in the crowd of undead but it was hit by another arrow before it was able to do that. Elena had shot the arrow which was also custom-made like Alleria's arrow.

The lich was blown to pieces when the high explosive tip pierced one of its ribs. The explosion had killed lots of undead that had been standing around the lich but there were still too many out there.

The loss of their leader didn't stop the undead from rushing towards Alleria's unit. Kelrian and the other mages gave their best but they weren't able to hold back every creature. The first creatures reached the unit and were taken out quickly but more arrived a few moments later. Dozens of undead fought the warriors, paladins and other melee fighters. The undead fell quickly but they managed to injure Alleria's men in the first line.

The first member fell after five minutes. It was a quel'dorei warrior who had carried a massive battle axe. One of the undead humans picked up the axe and attacked Vandiril but the skilled Silvermoon Guard blocked the creature's attacks with his shield and cut off its arms with two precise swings with his long and curved sword. A ghoul jumped on him the next moment but he bashed it away with his shield. Another ghoul tried the same but it was cut in halves by Fanomar's double-handed battle axe. Valerie joined her mate and assisted Vandiril at the front.

The frontline was doing a great job at keeping the undead away from the backline which shot lots of arrows and spells at the undead. The battle endured six hours in which Alleria lost eight men but they killed more than three hundred creatures in return.

They burned the bodies of the undead that hadn't been burned already. Then they made a short pause in which the men were able to burn the fallen, satisfy their hunger with conjured food and restored their mana by drinking mana potions or eating mana food. The mages conjured arrows for the archers and ammunition for those who used guns or pistols.

They rested for nearly an hour before they continued to move northwards. They arrived at the northern wall after a while. Only the walls that were bordering the blighted path were partly intact. There were no remains on the Dead Scar. Arthas' siege engines had destroyed this section and had allowed the undead army to leave Silvermoon City.

Alleria had expected more creatures in this area but there were not more than fifty isolated undead that were walking around unit splitup and began to eliminate the undead. Alleria killed a ghoul with a precise headshot, then she drew another arrow from her quiver and aimed at an undead female high elf that was walking towards her.

Her hair was pale blonde and brittle, her high cheekbones could be seen through the holes in her pale skin. There were also other bones that were partially visible. The woman's lips were burst and dried black blood stuck on her chin. There was a deep hole in her chest. She was wearing a torn uniform, but Alleria could still recognize it. It had been blue once. A Ranger-General uniform. The uniform and the familiar facial features of the woman told Alleria who she was.

Her worst nightmares had come true. This undead woman was no other than her mother whose form had been twisted when she had been brought back. Alleria's breathing had stopped, she was still aiming at the woman but she didn't release the arrow. She refused to shoot her mother and involuntarily allowed her to come closer.

She had expected her mother to be dead. She had somehow known that Arthas had ordered his servants to raise her. Maybe he had raised her himself. Somehow she had known that. She had known it but she was still shocked to see her mother like that.

Lireesa was staggering forwards, her left arm was stretched out and the other was missing. Her ice-blue glowing eyes rested on her daughter, only growls, groans and hisses escaped her opened mouth. Her gaze was empty and seeing Alleria didn't change anything to her. She didn't react to her daughter in a different way nor did she stop walking. She just came closer and closer but Alleria didn't move an inch. She still aimed at her but didn't shoot. She didn't have the heart to shoot her mother, even though she knew that creature was no longer her mother. She was a mindless servant of the Scourge who just wanted to feast.

Alleria had seen undead who were still able to think and speak clearly. These creatures wouldn't have to follow their lower desires. They were intelligent but Lireesa was not. She was behaving like a ghoul and not like a creature who had a functioning brain. She had no personality like Xenarion or Dar'Khan Drathir. She was not able to think and speak and she wanted nothing more than to feed on the living.

A single tear ran down the blonde's cheek as she realized that her mother was gone. She died defending her home and her people like a true heroine. She will not be forgotten, Alleria will make sure of that. It pained her to see her beloved mother like hadn't deserved such a fate.

Lireesa had been one of the smartest persons Alleria had known. And now she was nothing more than one of Arthas' mindless servants, who roamed around the Dead Scar and attacked every creature that came near them.

Alleria was able to keep a cool head even though she was grieving at this very moment. She felt shattered, had the impression thata part of her had just died. Her shattered heart was bleeding, her hands were shaking and she knew it was not unlikely that she would break out in tears the next moment. She had loved her mother. Her mother had always been there for her and had supported her whenever she could. Her mother belonged to the most important persons of her life but now she was gone.

Alleria didn't allow her emotions to control her. She reminded herself that she was the one in control and not her feelings. She managed to pull herself together and remain calm. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Don't worry, mother. I will end your suffering. You don't have to serve that son of a whore any longer." She took a deep breath, kept her eyes open and waited a short moment before she released the arrow.

It was a direct hit. Right between the eyes.

Lireesa stopped moving suddenly, stood still for a few moments and then collapsed. A quiet sob escaped Alleria's lips. She turned her head as she noticed a hand on her shoulder. Kelrian stood next to her and gave her a comforting smile, telling her that he was sorry for her loss. He offered her a tight hug and Alleria accepted, knowing that he had just lost her too. She put her head on his shoulder and relaxed. Kelrian pulled her hood down and ran his fingers through her hair, caressing her back to comfort her.

No sounds were hearable from the Ranger-Captain. No sobs, no cries, no screams and no words. She was silent while she tried to assimilate everything. She pulled away after a few minutes and let her gaze wander, noticing that all the other undead creatures had been eliminated in the meantime. Her gaze fell on her mother. "Bring her to Dalaran but don't tell Vereesa yet. I want to be the one to tell her. I have to break it gently to her..." Sadness was still reflected in her voice and in her eyes.

Kelrian was worried. "I'm not sure if Vereesa will handle it well. Sylvanas' death has devastated her. Maybe we should wait..."

Alleria shook her head. "She has every right to know the truth. I have to break it gently to her. You can join me if you want but first, we will travel north and kill every undead we find until we reach the sea."

Kelrian didn't say anything in return. He just nodded and put a hand on Alleria's shoulder. His presence comforted her a little. She didn't want to admit it but she needed him more than ever at this moment. She was glad that he was here. He was one of the few members of her family that weren't dead or undead.

Lireesa had also meant a lot to Kelrian. Her death also filled him with dismay. She was his mother-in-law, the mother of the love of his life. He had loved her, so her death made him really sad.

At least Lireesa had found peace. She was no longer forced to serve the Lich King. She was free from Arthas' control and would no longer have to hurt her people and those she had loved. Her soul could finally find peace.

"We will open a portal after we killed the remaining undead creatures. Those who can still be identified should also be brought to Dalaran. Their families have every right to get their bodies. They deserve a proper funeral," said Alleria.

"That's a great idea," responded Kelrian. He waited for a few moments, then he turned away from Alleria and drew his spellblade from his belt. "Let's take care of the remaining undead."

"I'm in," said Elena and came to him, giving him a small smile.

Alleria stepped next to them. "We have to release every former citizen of Quel'Thalas we find. We owe that to my mother and Sylvanas."


	21. Exceptional Encounters

"Things can't get any worse, can they?" the female voice asked. It was quieter than usual and reflected grief and bitterness. The woman's eyes rested on the body on the table in front of her. She couldn't avert her gaze, no matter how hard she tried.

It felt for her as if she was affected by a spell that forced her to look at the body. But she was not. The truth was that she was just too shocked to look away. She had known that her mother's chances of survival had been pretty low but she still had not lost hope. She had hoped for the best outcome but fate had made a different choice. Her mother was dead but she had found peace at least.

Alleria's eyes still rested on the silver-haired woman. It pained her to see her sister like that. To see her grieving. Vereesa had cried for days when Alleria had told her about Sylvanas' death and her tragic fate and now she cried as well. Nobody could hold that against her. Alleria had just shown her the proof that her mother was dead. Really dead.

Vereesa would never be able to speak to her mother again. She would never be able to ask her for advices about educating the twins she will give birth to inabout two months. The twins will never be able to spend time with their grandmother. They will never get known to her.

Vereesa put a hand on her round belly. "They are not even born and have already lost their grandmother and their other grandparents. Their aunt is dead too. Turalyon is still missing. Sylvera is still missing. Kelrian's mother and his younger siblings are still missing. All of them could be dead. How many more family members do we have to lose? When will this madness finally stop? Who will be left of our family when this is all over?"

Alleria bit her bottom lip softly as she considered what she should say in response. Her blue eyes still rested on Vereesa who looked desperate. Her skin was pale, her eyes were wet from crying and tears still ran down her cheeks. Her hands were trembling, so were her lips while she was speaking.

Alleria had no idea what she should say to comfort her little sister. It had taken a lot of effort for her to comfort her when she had told her about Sylvanas' horrible fate. Comforting her this time will be much more difficult. Vereesa had heard about the deaths of Rhonin's parents and most members of his family a few days ago. She was still not over their deaths and her mother's death didn't make things easier.

Vereesa was not sure if her shattered heart would be able to cope with the losses of more beloved persons. She would never be able to handle everything alone. Fortunately for her, she was not alone. Alleria was there for here and would do anything necessary to make her feel better.

She approached her younger sister, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and put Vereesa's head on her chest. Her hands caressed her back softly as she spoke soothing words in the expecting mother's ears. Vereesa relaxed and stopped crying eventually.

"I don't know how long this madness will last," Alleria said after a while. "We can only hope that it will be over soon. Our spies saw Arthas last in Lordaeron, in the capital city. Sylvanas has been with him but I have no idea what they are doing there. I'm still waiting for the newest reports."

"What will we do about her?" Vereesa asked and stared into her big sister's eyes.

"You mean Sylvanas?"

Vereesa nodded.

Alleria sighed. "I have no idea. I don't want her to serve that bastard any longer but I can't just go to Lordaeron and release her. Kelrian and Elena told me that she is pretty powerful. I might not be able to kill her alone, not to mention that I'm not sure if I could kill her. She is still our sister after all... Or what is left of her at least..."

"Didn't she try to kill Kelrian? The Sylvanas we knew would never do that. She would never try to kill him, not even if only a small part of her would be left. What if Arthas made sure that..." Vereesa didn't complete her sentence. It hurt too much to speak out the words she wanted to say.

"That nothing is left of Sylvanas? Is that what you wanted to say?" Alleria asked. Worry was reflected by her eyes.

A sad sigh escaped the younger woman's lips. "Yeah...That's what I wanted to say...I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry."

"I know but still... I should try to stay as positive as the situation allows and hope that a small part of our sister is still left in that creature. But somehow, I have the impression there's nothing left of Sylvanas. At least from what I've heard.

Alleria was silent for a few moments, hesitating to give her younger sister an answer. "You shouldn't always trust what you hear."

Vereesa hesitated, insecurity was reflected in her eyes. "But didn't she go after you too?"

Alleria nodded. "But only because Arthas ordered her. Sylvanas would never want to hurt any of us. Arthas controls her and forces her to do things she doesn't want to do. I can't say for sure that the good Sylvanas still exists in the banshee Arthas created. I can only hope she still exists. I hope we can reach her somehow. Otherwise, we have no other choice than to end her suffering."

Vereesa nodded silently. It pained her to imagine killing Sylvanas, even if they were doing her a favour that way. Alleria sighed and put her hands on Vereesa's cheeks, caressing them softly. "Everything will be alright, Little Moon. We have succeeded in recapturing Silvermoon City and we will recapture more areas of Quel'Thalas over time. Everything will get better from now on.

You and Rhonin will have two beautiful children that will demand most of your time so that you won't have the time to think about sad things. Focus on the good things, on the fact that not everyone you care about died, on your offspring and on our family. Try to look forward and try to come to terms with the past. Always remember that I will help you whenever I can. I will always be there for you. Promised."

"Thank you," whispered Vereesa.

Alleria smiled, laughing softly. "You don't need to thank me, Little Moon. I'm your sister, so it's my duty to be there for you and support you as best as I can. I would be a bad sister if I wouldn't care about you. I will always be there for you if you need me."

Vereesa hugged Alleria and pressed a kiss on her cheek. The older woman closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle hug, putting her hands on her sister's back. They held the hug for a few minutes, then they pulled away and looked at each other. "

"We should leave this room and prepare for the funeral. Her body has been twisted enough, so I don't want it to start rotting," said Alleria.

"When will we burn her?" Vereesa asked.

"Today, if our remaining relatives have time."

Vereesa nodded, not saying anything in return.

* * *

There was a foul stench in the air. It was far worse than the stench of the undead creatures Sylvanas had ordered to wait in the cave until her return. They were loyal to her, so they will wait until she would return from the meeting she would attend.

She wondered where that strange stench came from. She had never smelled anything so bad before. Not even her newest followers nor herself smelled so bad. She covered her nose with her hand, noticing that it didn't help at all. At least her nose was slowly getting used to the stench, meaning she would be able to bear it eventually.

Sylvanas walked along the path in front of her. The soil beneath her feet was grey and dead. It was dry and infertile. Arthas Menethil had made sure that no plant would ever grow there again. Sylvanas felt a massive amount of anger whenever she heard that name or thought about him. The anger often threatened to consume her but she always managed to control herself. It was not easy most of the times but there was a person that always helped her to calm down and regain control over herself. She just had to be near her to feel a bit calmer. She was one of the few connections she still had with her former life.

Verena had advised her to not meet with these shady creatures because they couldn't trust them. Sylvanas knew she couldn't trust anyone, not even Verena because she couldn't know what Arthas had done with her. He might have manipulated her to act as if she was her ally to get her trust. She couldn't exclude that Verena may betray her later. She had to be careful and keep an eye on her and on everyone else.

She didn't fully trust her but she proved to be pretty useful, so Sylvanas allowed her to stay by her side and help her to get her revenge. She could only hope Arthas hadn't manipulated her and turned her into a double-agent. She knew that Arthas was not dumb. She hated to admit that he was pretty smart. But he was also very arrogant. It was not unlikely that he hadn't manipulated Verena but Sylvanas couldn't be sure of that. She had decided to keep an eye on Verena until she could be sure that she was no threat to her.

Sylvanas followed the path until she came to the valley she was looking for. She spotted remains of several buildings that had once belonged to a small town in the east of Lordaeron. Except for a few dead trees and grey dead tufts of grass, no form of vegetation could be found in this area. Lots of skulls, bones and other remains of dead creatures were scattered all over the ground in the middle of the valley.

She recognized the three creatures from afar. She knew who they were because she had been around when Arthas had spoken to them about a week ago. She knew their names and what they were. Horned creatures with wide wings and sharp claws. Dreadlords or Nathrezim, as they called themselves. Sylvanas knew it was a risk to meet them alone. It was a risk to meet them in general but she had to take that risk if she wanted to get closer to her goal.

She had no idea how powerful they were. She only assumed that they were pretty powerful and that she wouldn't be able to handle all three of them alone. She knew she had to be careful and choose her words wisely or they may be her last. And she couldn't allow that. She couldn't allow herself to die before she had killed Arthas for what he had done to her and her people.

She had no other choice than to meet the dreadlords and find out what they wanted from her. She was pretty sure they wanted Arthas' demise too. They had been pretty angry after Arthas had announced that the Scourge would no longer serve them and the legion. Sylvanas hoped she would come to an agreement with the dreadlords. She wanted to find out if her enemy's enemy would be friend or foe. She wanted to know if they were on her side.

She went down the hill and arrived in the middle of the ruins where the dreadlords were waiting. One of them was sitting on the remains of a column and ate supplies the humans had left behind. Next to the column laid the skeletons of two dozen goats. The dreadlord had a huge appetite was which clearly visible in his corpulence. Sylvanas realized that the stench came from him. The two other dreadlords were just standing around and doing nothing at all. Nothing but taking a closer look at her.

"Lady Sylvanas. We are pleased that you came," said the one on the left. He was the tallest and most muscular of the three. His wings and his armour were purple and his eyes glowed yellowish.

Sylvanas' gaze rested on him as she answered. "How could I not? For some reason, I no longer hear the Lich King's voice in my head. What a relief. I no longer have to listen to this monster. My will is my own once again." Her voice sounded like a cracking crypt door but none of the dreadlords grimaced. Their expressions remained neutral.

"You dreadlords seem to know why," she added and tilted her head a little, giving them a curious look.

The dreadlord in the middle spoke. "We've discovered that the Lich King is losing his power. As it wanes, so too does his ability to command undead such as you."

That caught her interest. She turned her head and looked at the demon with the red wings and the silly-looking sideburns. She remembered that his name was Varimathras. "And what of King Arthas? What about his powers?" she asked interested. She hoped he got weaker too. That way, her chance to kill him would be much higher. She wanted his death more than anything else, so she hoped that the dreadlord would tell her that Arthas was also losing power.

Balnazzar, the purple demon, answered her this time. "Though his runeblade, Frostmourne, carries powerful enchantments, Arthas' own powers will fade in time. It is inevitable. He will get weaker over time."

"The weaker he gets the easier we can kill him," concluded Sylvanas.

"Exactly," responded Balnazzar, giving her a wide smile.

"That's good to know. You seek to overthrow him and you want my help to do it. Am I right about that?"

The fat Nathrezim gave her a wicked smile. His fat grey belly wobbled as he jumped up and came a few feet closer to Sylvanas. His wings were green and much smaller than the wings of the other nathrezim. Sylvanas doubted they would be able to carry him. It was very likely that he was too fat to fly for too long. "The Legion may be defeated, but we are the Nathrezim. We'll not let some upstart human get the best of us. Arthas must fall!" His voice reflected anger, his green eyes were narrowed.

It was Balnazzar's turn to speak. "The lich Kel'Thuzad is far too loyal to betray his master. But you on the other hand...," he didn't finish his sentence, assuming that the undead womanwould finish it for him.

"Hate him," completed Sylvanas and gave the nathrezim a serious look. "I have my own reasons for seeking vengeance. Arthas murdered my people, forced me to kill my own mother, murdered me and my unborn child and turned me into this...monstrosity. I may take part in your bloody coup, but I will do so in my own way."

She gave the dreadlords one last look, noticing that they didn't look pleased, and then turned around and walked away.

* * *

Kelrian's gaze fell on the abandoned buildings that were lined up along the road they were taking. The road was plastered by cobblestones, the buildings were mostly well preserved and even the surrounding trees were alive. This place was the entire opposite of the worst places in Quel'Thalas. There were lots of dead forests, destroyed villages and areas where the ground was infertile. Arthas had ravaged Quel'Thalas worse than his own homeland.

Most areas of Lordaeron, Kelrian had seen so far, looked much better than more than half of the areas in Quel'Thalas. The ground of most of the areas in Lordaeron was still fertile and animals were still living in some forests. Half of the villages in Lordaeron were destroyed or possessed by the undead, the other half was abandoned but people could still live there. While most villages in Quel'Thalas were destroyed and had to be rebuilt.

Kelrian knew this would take a while. A few months had passed since Silvermoon City had been reconquered by his people, the former high elves who had been renamed to blood elves by Kael'thas. He had done that to honour the fallen whose lives had been taken by the Scourge. Kael'thas had burned his father's body, accepted the crown and became the first king of the blood elves.

In the last few months, the blood elves have reclaimed almost half of the territory that had once belonged to Quel'Thalas. There were still enough bases, villages and areas under the control of the Scourge. The blood elves may need months or even years to retake them but they were certain they would manage to do that one day. Fortunately for them, survivors of Lordaeron under the command of Grand Marshal Othmar Garithos helped them to retake what belonged to them. In return, the blood elves would help to free Lordaeron from any undead creatures.

The blood elves had formed an alliance with the humans because they had common goals. Kelrian was glad that they received aid in these dark times. He was grateful that Grand Marshal Garithos had allowed them to join the Alliance resistance. At first, he had thought Garithos to be an honourable and just man who wanted nothing more than those who survived the slaughter led by Arthas Menethil.

But the longer his people had worked with him, the more they had gotten known to him and realized who he really was. He was a brave man with lots of battle experience but he was anything but likeable. It was known that he didn't like any other races except the human race. He despised the blood elves. He didn't trust them and only worked with them because they had common goals and he needed every capable fighter he could get. He had insulted Kael'thas from time to time but the freshly crowned king had never said anything in return because he knew he needed Garithos' aid to get rid of the undead in his homeland.

Kelrian didn't like the grand marshal nor did he like that the blood elves were so dependent on him. The king had often told him that he hated working with that arrogant racist but he still did it because he had no other choice. They had not enough men to deal with the undead in Quel'Thalas.

Even if they would free Quel'Thalas from any undead creature, more would come with time. There were still too many members of the Scourge in Lordaeron which could be ordered to move to Quel'Thalas and attack the bases of the blood elves. Kelrian knew that they had to kill the undead in Lordaeron too if they wanted to make sure that the remaining citizens of Quel'Thalas would no longer be in danger.

Kelrian let his gaze wander again once he had seen enough of the beautiful nature to which he still had a close connection. The connection had been much stronger before the fall of Quel'Thalas. Since the destruction of the Sunwell that had provided him with enough arcane energy, he felt nature in a different way. He still loved to regard nature and enjoy its beauty but he was no longer able to sense the well-being of the trees. He was no longer able to feel if a tree was healthy, sick or even dying. But that was not the only thing that had changed since the Sunwell's destruction.

He felt much weaker, his limbs and bones were aching from time to time and he got sick much easier. Wounds needed longer to heal, he got headaches from time to time and he had the impression that his sense of taste had gotten worse. He no longer enjoyed conjured food. He ate it when he had no other choice but he didn't like it anymore.

The worst was that he was not the only one who felt that way. Other blood elves felt the same way. They could not function properly without a constant supply of arcane energy. Their hunger for arcane energy was insatiable. They needed these energies so badly and their conditions got worse with each passing day. They were disharmonious, got aggressive pretty quickly and were restless from time to time.

They needed a source which could provide them with arcane energy constantly but Kael'thas had no idea where he should find such a source. All he could do was to search for other sources which could provide them with arcane energy for a limited amount of time. But he was not sure if he would find enough of these sources. He had to find a better solution. A permanent solution.

The caravan Kael'thas and his men were escorting would provide them with arcane energy but it would be just enough to satisfy the hunger of all survivors for a week at most. It was not the permanent solution he was looking for but it was better than nothing. It was just a small drop in the ocean. A temporary solution.

He had to find a permanent solution somehow but he had no idea if he would ever find one. He had no idea if there was another endless source of power such as the Sunwell. He could only hope that he would find a solution, otherwise... He didn't want to imagine what would happen to his people then, so he banished these thoughts out of his head and tried to think about something else.

He noticed his secret son coming closer to him. "What is it, Kelrian?"

Kelrian regarded the king for a few moments. He still hadn't gotten used to the green glowing spheres that were rotating around the king's head. He only knew that these spheres were the three mooncrystals that had endured the Sunwell's explosion. He had no idea what they did or what they were good for. They had a strange aura and seemed to be bound to the prince. They followed him wherever he went. That was everything he knew about them.

"We spotted some strangers, my king. They don't appear to be undead but... I don't know what they are."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow curiously. "Where are they and how many are there?"

"Eight of them are standing near the entrance of the town. One of them rides on a tall beast with white fur and black stripes."

Kael'thas frowned. "Let's get to them and see what they are up to."

"As you wish, my king."

Kael'thas gave his men the signal to stop the caravan. He ordered half of the men, who were escorting the carriages, to remain there while the other half was ordered to follow him. Together with Kelrian, Elena and the men he walked through the town until they reached the entrance.

They spotted eight female humanoid creatures. They looked like taller versions of the blood elves but they had different skin and hair colours. Their skin colour was either purple or light pink while their hair was green, bluish, silvery or even purple. Most of them were even taller than Kelrian who was the tallest of the present blood elves. Only one of them was smaller than him. She was around five feet and nine inches tall while the others were at least a whole foot taller.

Kael'thas' gaze fell on the woman who was sitting on a tall tiger. She had long majestic green hair, beautiful facial features, blue glowing gorgeous eyes and a slim but muscular shape. Her skin was light purple, she wore majestic silver armour that was decorated by a few blue gems. She carried a magnificent bow on her back which limbs looked like feathered wings of a bird.

The woman next to her wore full armour and a long green cape. She carried an umbra crescent in her hands. The weapon looked like a large spiked ring and Kael'thas was certain that it was pretty deadly. She wore a helmet that covered everything but her eyes and the lower half of her face. Her green glowing orbs rested on the king and Kelrian.

Kael'thas had no doubt they were night elves. He had heard a lot about them and even met a few in the past centuries. He knew they lived on Kalimdor and had no bases or strongholds in the Eastern Kingdoms, so he was surprised to see them in Lordaeron.

All present night elves looked pretty powerful. "Ishnu-alah, night elves," Kael'thas said. He hardly spoke darnassian, the language of the night elves, so he switched to common, hoping the night elves spoke it too. "I am Kael'thas Sunstrider, the king of the blood elves. I must admit, I'm surprised to see your kind here. I thought you lived on Kalimdor. What brings you to Lordaeron?" he asked curiously. "But whatever your business is, I fear you will find only death and shadow in this cursed land."

"Ishnu-dal-dieb, Kael'thas," the armoured woman replied in darnassian. For a moment Kael'thas feared that they didn't speak common and hadn't understood him. A quiet sigh of relief escaped his lips as the woman switched to common. "I am Maiev Shadowsong," she pointed at the gorgeous woman on the tiger, "and this is Tyrande Whisperwind. We are hunting a powerful demon that arrived here recently."

Kael'thas' eyes rested on her for several moments before he turned his head and looked at Kelrian, noticing the doubt in his eyes.

"Curious...I don't know about any demon, but something's riled the undead based at the ruins of Dalaran. They've been hounding us day and night. We were about to abandon this post and seek refuge on the other side of the River Arevass," responded the king.

A thoughtful expression could be seen on Tyrande's face. "Hmmm." She turned her head and looked at Maiev who was regarding the blood elves with narrowed eyes. The warden was suspecting them. The priestess looked back at the king and his men, noticing how pale, exhausted and distressed they were.

She assumed that the undead were causing them much trouble. She had heard of the undead invasion, the fall of Quel'Thalas and the destruction of the Sunwell. They didn't look as if they would be able to handle the undead alone, so Tyrande only did what seemed right to her.

She offered them their aid. "Then we shall lend you our aid, young king," she said determinedly. She noticed out of the corner of her eyes that Maiev turned her head and gave her an irritated look. "Wait...," the warden started, paused for a few seconds and then continued, "we have no time for this."

Tyrande looked at her, giving her a small smile. The look on her face told the warden that she should trust her. Maiev knew she could trust the high priestess of Elune but she still didn't like her decision to help the blood elves and the humans. She wanted nothing more than to capture Illidan Stormrage and put him back in his prison.

She didn't care about these descendants of her people that had chosen to travel to the Eastern Kingdoms and had created a new fount of arcane energy almost seven millennia ago, instead of staying on Kalimdor with the other survivors of the War of the Ancients. She had no sympathy for Tyrande's decision. And no sympathy for the blood elves. If it was up to her, she would let them do their own thing while she would follow Illidan's tracks.

But Tyrande knew better than her. She was sure that the blood elves would help her if she would help them. Tyrande's gaze fell back on Kael'thas, the blond ranger to his left and the pink-haired woman to his right. "Perhaps once your people are safe, you will help us hunt the demon we seek?" her reply sounded more like a request than a demand. She was over ten thousand years old and knew how to negotiate. She knew what to do to achieve her goals.

A small smirk appeared on Kael'thas' lips. "It would be an honour, milady."

"I'm glad we have come to an agreement," replied Tyrande and smiled at him.

"So am I," responded the king and returned her smile.


	22. New Acquaintances

They arrived at the small camp before nightfall. They had travelled for nearly two days without making pauses or getting any sleep. It was clearly visible in their faces that they were pretty tired and exhausted, even the night elves who had much more stamina than the humans and blood elves were exhausted. Everyone was happy that they finally arrived at a place where they could rest.

Kaldorei warriors and archers guarded the entrance to the camp. They stood in front of it and would protect it from any opponent by any means. Relieved expressions could be seen on the guards' faces as they realized that the footsteps they had heard had not come from enemies. They lowered their heads in respect as they greeted their leader and her guests.

Tyrande nodded to them and led her newest companions through the entrance. There was a large campfire in the middle of the base around which several night elves sat. They warmed their hands, ate roasted meat and vegetables, talked or did other things. They were in a cheerful mood.

Kelrian guessed that most of them had not yet seen the horrible creatures that were wandering through Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. They wouldn't be in a cheerful mood if they would have seen what he and the other members of the Alliance resistance had seen. They had not yet seen the horrors Kelrian and his comrades had fought for months. But they will see the undead sooner or later.

Tyrande and her companion had fought with Kael'thas' men against the undead in the past days. They had been disgusted at the sight of the undead but they hadn't hesitated to kill them. Tyrande's warrioresses were not only brave but very skilled in combat. Their skills had impressed Kelrian.

Kelrian had never seen a night elf before. He knew that the night elves were the ancestors of his people and that they were older than most races on Azeroth. They were powerful creatures who had defended Azeroth against the Burning Legion ten thousand years ago.

He had listened to Tyrande and Kael'thas when they had talked about the past. The high priestess had told the king that she hadwitnessed the invasion of the Burning Legion and had done everything to protect her people. She had told him about the traitor queen Azshara who had allowed the Burning Legion to come to Azeroth. She had told him about Archimonde the Defiler and his defeat. She had told a lot about the events of the past and Kelrian remembered almost every word.

For him, Tyrande was a very powerful, ancient being that was not only very wise but also a very skilful fighter. Her archery skills were even better than Sylvanas', and that had to mean something, and she was also very talented with a sword. She was better than anyone else he knew. Her beauty even rivalled Sylvanas' beauty.

The parallels between the two elven women were unmistakable. Both of them were great archers and great strategists. They were very beautiful, intelligent women and they would do anything to protect their people. They were great leaders and tried to help whenever they could. They wouldn't leave a single member of their people behind, no matter how unimportant they were in the eyes of some others.

Sylvanas was not as tall as Tyrande and not as old as her, meaning she didn't have as much experience as the high priestess. But other than that, they were pretty similar to each other, in his opinion.

Kelrian was glad that he had spotted the night elves while searching the empty town for supplies. The past two days would have been much harder without the eight night elves and their two mountain giants which had waited for the kaldorei in a valley, an hour's march from the abandoned town.

The mountain giants, which were thirty feet tall, had squashed lots of undead with their massive feet. Each shot of the night elf archers had been precise and killed at least one undead creature. Especially, Tyrande and Maiev had killed lots of undead over the past days.

Kelrian was sure that the undead would have overwhelmed King Kael'thas' men if the kaldorei wouldn't have been there. Too many undead had attacked them over the past days. He, the other mages and archers wouldn't have been able to kill that many undead before they would have reached the frontline that had consisted of human footmen, paladins and blood elf spell breakers. Too many good men and women would have died before they would have reached their destination.

The night elves were the only reason why most of King Kael'thas' men had survived this mission so far. Kelrian was very grateful for that. He didn't want to die nor did he want to lose more comrades. The supplies they were escorting were essential for his people. They had to bring them to Silvermoon by any means and the kaldorei were a great help for them.

Kelrian checked his surroundings curiously. He saw many tents on the left side of the base that was surrounded by walls which consisted of pointed wooden stakes. Other than tents, a few tables and chairs he didn't spot anything noteworthy. His gaze fell on one of the wooden tables near the large campfire where a few night elves sat. They talked while playing a dice game.

Kelrian noticed that Tyrande's gaze rested on him and Elena who was standing to his left. He looked at Tyrande, noticing the proud smile on her lips. "You two fought well. Keep this up and we'll soon get rid of the undead in this area."

Both sin'dorei smiled. "You fought well too, high priestess. It was an honour for us to fight by your side in the past days," responded Kelrian.

"We are looking forward to killing as many undead as possible with your assistance. Not to mention that it would be an honour for us to catch that demon with you," replied Elena.

Tyrande nodded. "I hope we will catch him soon but first we need to finish your mission before we continue with mine."

"Your friend doesn't seem to be happy with your decision to help us."

"She is not my friend but a person I respect. Maiev is a great warrioress but she is very hot-headed. She only thinks about catching Illidan and putting him back in his prison. She only focuses on her goal and forgets about everything else that is also important. She would do everything to catch Illidan. I fear that her thirst for justice will be..."

"Her undoing?" Kelrian asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not exactly that but I still fear that she'll put herself in a dangerous situation if she keeps acting without thinking about the consequences. I told her many times to be careful and always think about the consequences of her actions but she doesn't listen. I can only hope that she will stay safe and that her thirst for justice and won't be her undoing."

"The line between justice and revenge is very thin," commented Elena.

Tyrande's gaze fell on the pink-haired ranger. "You are right." She laughed softly. "I said something similar to your king. I told him that he has to be careful and make sure his thirst for vengeance won't consume him. I told him that rage and vengeance is not a pleasant road to walk should support your king and prevent him from doing anything stupid. Remind him to be better than the monster he wants to bring to justice."

The blood elves nodded. "We will keep that in mind. Thank you for the tip and the praises, High Priestess."

Tyrande smiled. "You are welcome. Now take a seat and rest. We won't set off before sunrise. Eat something, enjoy yourselves and get enough sleep. That's very important."

"We will," responded the pink-haired woman and took Kelrian's hand, dragging him to one of the tables where two kaldorei women were sitting. They already knew one of them. Her name was Vissia and she had accompanied Tyrande. She was a rogue and wore leather armour that protected everything but her forearms and her belly. These parts of her body were unprotected but that didn't seem to bother her.

As a rogue, she didn't plan to get hit. Rogues preferred light armour so that they were able to move faster than others who wore heavier armours. Vissia had managed to avoid every single attack and killed lots of undead in the past days. She was pretty skilled just like everyone else who had come with Tyrande and Maiev. Kelrian was sure that the high priestess had taken her best and most trusted fighters with her to the Eastern Kingdoms.

Vissia wore her dark purple hair shoulder-length, her neck was covered by a green scarf and her eyes were bright blue. The woman next to her was a head taller than her, the lower half of her natural dark blue hair was dyed in a similar purple tone as the rogue's hair. She wore massive armour that was made out of high-quality steel and coloured in blue and grey. Kelrian could only assume that she must be very muscular and strong, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to move in that heavy-looking armour.

The night elf women were sitting next to each other and regarded Kelrian and Elena curiously. Vissia held a warm cup of tea in her hands, her upper body was bent forward slightly as she regarded them shyly. The warrior appeared to be very self-confident but not arrogant. Kelrian didn't know anything about her but he assumed that she had no problems talking to strangers while the rogue appeared to prefer to avoid talking to persons she barely knew.

The warrior had thrown her legs over the left side of the chair, one leg was crossed over the other. Her back didn't lean against the backrest of the chair. She was not sitting in a straight position on the chair but it seemed she felt comfortable sitting like this. Her left arm rested on top of the chair's backrest, the other arm was bent and held a bowl of soup. Her gaze rested on the rogue but then shifted to Kelrian and Elena.

"Greetings," she said.

"Greetings," Kelrian and Elena said in return.

"I am Velsana Wildlance. It's nice to meet you."

"I am Kelrian Sunsinger and that's Elena Firevein."

"Bloodvein," corrected Elena.

Kelrian turned his head and gave her a look which was a mix of surprise and irritation. "What?"

"My family decided to change our surname to honour the fallen. Many families and people did that. Many have changed their surname just like we have changed the name of our race from high elves to blood elves. We are no longer Quel'dorei. We are Sin'dorei. The children of the blood. Many people have the word 'blood' in their surname to honour the fallen. Didn't you know that?"

Kelrian shook his head. "No, I didn't. I was busy wasting my time drinking too much alcohol, so I must have missed that."

"Now you know," said Elena and turned to the beautiful night elf warrior. "I'm Elena Bloodvein. It's nice to meet you too."

"I assume you've already acquainted Vissia," Velsana said.

Kelrian nodded. "We did. She is a very skilful assassin. She killed lots of undead without getting hit by one of them. I have to say that her skills are very impressive."

Vissia blushed and averted her gaze, looking at her fingers. Velsana wrapped an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Vis always blushes when she receives compliments. She still hasn't gotten used to the fact that people are impressed by her combat skills. Don't hold that against her, she is a very shy person and she doesn't talk much. Not to strangers at least, no offence."

"Don't worry, we are not offended by this," replied Elena.

Velsana smiled. "Good."

"Why don't you get something to eat for yourselves and then we can talk a little if you want. Vis may not like to speak much but I do."

"That's a great idea. Where do we get something to eat?" Kelrian asked.

The warrior turned her upper body to the left and pointed at the second biggest tent. "The cooking pot has been brought there. Take as much as you want, there is enough for everyone."

"Thank you," replied Elena.

The tall woman chuckled. "Don't thank me, I didn't prepare the soup. Thank the cooks."

"We will," said the pink-haired woman and got up, waiting until Kelrian had gotten up as well. They didn't hesitate to walk over to the tent, passing a group of druids that had just left the tent. They carried bowls filled with soup in their hands.

The sin'dorei entered the tent, spotting two cooks next to a large cooking pot that was heated up by magic. The female night elf with the short green hair greeted them. She filled two bowls, handed them to the blood elves and wished them a good appetite.

Kelrian and Elena thanked the cooks and left the tent, walking back to the table. Velsana and Vissia were still sitting next to each other. The warrior had still wrapped her arm around the smaller woman and fed her with soup. The rogue's cheeks reddened as she realized that Kelrian and Elena had seen that. She lowered her head and stared at her feet.

Kelrian and Elena sat down, regarding the kaldorei women curiously. "You don't have to stop because of us."

Velsana smiled. "That was not my plan but Vis is too shy. She finds it too embarrassing when I do this while others are watching."

"You seem to be pretty close," said Elena.

"We are indeed."

"And you are neither relatives nor best friends."

Velsana's dark purple lips formed a smile. "No, we are not." She put her hand under Vissia's chin, lifted and turned it. She stared into the rogue's blue eyes for a few moments before she lowered her head and pressed her lips against Vissia's light purple ones. The kiss was not too long but passionate. Both women enjoyed it but Vissia was the only one who blushed after it. Velsana sat there casually and acted as if nothing had happened. It was not a big deal for her to kiss her girlfriend in front of others and show them that they were a couple.

Velsana pulled the smaller girl closer until she had no other choice than to slip on the warrior's lap. Velsana wrapped her arms around her and put her head on her shoulder. "She is mine," she said, smiling widely.

"You're a perfect match. Seems it's true that opposites attract each other," said Kelrian and tried the soup. It turned out that the soup was much better than the last one he had eaten.

Velsana just smiled and said nothing in return while Vissia was still sipping her tea and blushed. The warrior regarded the blood elves curiously while they were eating their soup. "What about you?" she asked after a while.

Kelrian and Elena stopped eating and looked up immediately. Their eyes rested on the curious night elf. "What do you mean?" Kelrian asked.

"I'm watching you since you entered the camp. You seem to be pretty close. You walked together to our table and you went to the tent together. You could have gone separately, but you didn't. You went together. I know that doesn't have to mean anything but I have the impression that you are familiar with each other. I mean, I met lots of men and women who were just friends and doing things together but they weren't so close to each other and didn't act as you did. Furthermore, the distance between your bodies is always very small. Like you want to be as close as possible to each other.

Tell me if I'm wrong but I have the impression that you are more than friends. You must know that Vis told me about the past days while you were talking to the high priestess. She told me about how you two got along, how you behaved around each other and about how you were looking at each other. "

The rogue's blush became deeper and even Elena's cheeks reddened a little. Kelrian, on the other hand, didn't blush. He was surprised that Velsana had the impression that he and Elena were a couple. He didn't remember that he had treated Elena like his girlfriend nor had he realized until this moment how small the distances between their bodies had been whenever they had stood or sat next to each other.

But what Velsana had said was true. At this very moment, they were sitting next to each other and his right leg was only a few inches away from her left leg. He only needed to move his leg a little and his knee would come in contact with hers.

He turned his head a little, looking at Elena who regarded him curiously. He had the impression he saw a small amount of hope in her eyes but he was not sure about that. Maybe he was just misinterpreting things. On the other hand, he knew that Elena had been in love with him for more than a decade and a half. It only made sense that she was hoping he would have similar feelings for her.

Kelrian was not sure how he felt about her. He had always considered her as a friend. He had loved Sylvanas, so he had never thought about other women. Sylvanas was the love of his life but she was dead. She was a banshee and forced to serve Arthas. Even if he would manage to free her somehow, she would never be the same person again. She was a banshee who was forced to kill in Arthas' name and do whatever he wanted from her. He would never be able to be together with her. The Sylvanas he had loved was gone and would never return.

He knew he had promised Sylvanas to move on but that was easier said than done. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Thinking about her still made him sad but it had become better over the past months. Elena was one of the reasons why he was feeling much better these days than he had felt after the fall of Silvermoon. She had been there for him, talked to him and comforted him whenever he had needed comfort. She had rarely left his side and always watched over him. She had spent most of her free time with him or near him and had made sure that grief and all the other negative emotions didn't overwhelm him.

He was glad Elena had been there for him. He was not sure if he would have managed to assimilate everything without her help. He was grateful that she had been there for him when he had needed someone to talk to. Someone on whose shoulder he could cry on. He hadn't cried often but when he had, Elena had been there for him, hugged him, stroked his back and whispered soothing words to him.

She had always done her best to comfort him and she had always managed to calm him down. He was sure he wouldn't have managed to survive the past months without her and his son who had also tried to help him by reminding him that he still had him. Raesh had reminded him that he hadn't lost everything and everyone he loved. He had remembered him that many members of their family were still alive and counting on him.

Nevertheless, he had no idea if his feelings for Elena had changed. He had no idea if she was just a good friend to him or more. He was not sure if he was interested in her or not. He didn't know if it was right to have feelings for her. He had been married to Sylvanas and loved her with all his heart. She was dead, which meant that their marriage was no longer valid. Nevertheless, it seemed wrong to him to imagine Elena as a possible love interest. The thought of getting into a relationship with someone somehow made him feel like he was cheating on Sylvanas.

He knew that this wouldn't be the case because his wife was dead. He had also promised her to move on and this included that he would live a normal life if this would ever be possible and that he would try to be happy. He was sure that she had wanted him to find a woman he could love and who would love him too. He was sure Sylvanas hadn't wanted him to end up alone and never find love again.

If he was honest with himself, he would have wanted Sylvanas to be happy too and find love again if he would have died. He knew there was no reason for him to feel bad about thinking of a relationship with someone else. Nevertheless, it still felt wrong for him. He was not sure if this feeling would ever disappear but for now, he didn't want to start a relationship with anyone. Not as long as it wouldn't feel right.

Kelrian averted his gaze eventually and looked back at the night elf who was still giving them a curious look. "We are just friends." He noticed the disappointed look on Elena's face but the look disappeared a few seconds later. He knew that Velsana had noticed it too but she didn't say anything about it.

"What a shame. You would have made a cute couple."

"As cute as you and your girlfriend are?" asked Kelrian, trying to change topics that way.

The warrior chuckled. "Maybe."

Kelrian and Elena finished their meals in silence and didn't speak for a while until Elena decided to break the uncomfortable silence by asking the night elves a question which interested her very much. "Why does Maiev wants to capture this Illidan so badly? What has he done to earn her hatred?"

A frown appeared on Velsana's forehead. She was not angry and she was not in a bad mood either but hearing that name and thinking about that person didn't make her happy at all.

She sighed. "It's a long story. Let's say he did a lot of bad things in the past. He chased the right goals but used the wrong methods to come closer to his goals. He sacrificed the lives of dozens of night elves to get stronger, so he could fight the demons. Too many kaldorei died because of his actions. He was imprisoned for ten thousand years for his crimes against our people. It was him who handed Dath'Remar Sunstrider the vial that contained water of the Well of Eternity.

Your first king created the Sunwell with that vial. Illidan also created another Well of Eternity because he didn't want to go without the powers of such a fount of arcane energies. Our people were very angry about that because the legion had tried to use the Well of Eternity to bring their army to Azeroth. After its destruction, the legion was no longer able to bring hundreds of thousands of demons to Azeroth at once. But Illidan created another Well and the Legion is after it. History repeats itself thanks to him."

"You said he WAS imprisoned for ten thousand years. How comes that he is free again?" Kelrian asked. Confusion was clearly visible in his eyes and hearable in his voice.

Not only Kelrian and Elena but also Velsana were surprised that Vissia took the floor. Her voice was soft and not very loud but the three elves clearly understood every word. "High Priestess Tyrande freed him in the hope that he would support us and fight with us against the Burning Legion.

Unfortunately, he did the opposite and allied himself the Legion. He consumed the powers of a mighty artefact known as the Skull of Gul'dan. The skull increased his powers but turned him into a demon. He serves the eredar demon lord Kil'jaeden and does everything he demands from him. Illidan needs to be stopped before he allows the Legion to bring their army to Azeroth. We have to prevent that by every means."

"The Legion created the Scourge and the Scourge destroyed Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. That means the Legion is responsible for the deaths of my friends and the death of my beloved wife," Kelrian concluded, his voice reflected sadness. Grief was reflected in his eyes. Elena didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer, trying to comfort him. She succeeded.

"You are right about that. If you want to avenge your people then feel free to join us to fight the Burning Legion," said the rogue.

Kelrian nodded. "I will remember that. I may join you sooner or later but first I have to help my people to retake and rebuild Quel'Thalas."

"I understand that. I just wanted to point out that we have a common enemy. Our people should work together if we want to protect Azeroth. We are on the same boat."

"You are right, Vissia. Azeroth's fate lays in our hands. It is up to us to save our world."

"Defending Azeroth won't be easy. The Burning Legion wants Azeroth for over ten thousand years. They sent the orcs decades ago and now they try to conquer the planet with the help of an undead army. They will never stop trying. We have to defend our world by every means. We have to defeat the Burning Legion. Many creatures will lose their lives but that's unavoidable. We can't allow that the Burning Legion leaves Azeroth in ruins," said Velsana.

"We will fight for our world and avenge the fallen by killing as many demons and undead creatures as possible," replied Elena.

They switched the topic eventually and talked about different things. The four talked and talked, getting known to each other. More people joined them over time. Night elves but also blood elves and humans Kelrian and Elena knew. Fanomar, Valerie, Marcus, Vandiril and even Dolfron came. He was the only dwarf who had joined Kael'thas to fight the undead and search for supplies.

One table was not enough for the gathered group, so they brought another table and put it next to the other. The group talked, celebrated, laughed a lot and did other things. Kelrian was one of the first who got tired and he didn't even try to hide that. He stayed awake as long as he could. He told the others that he would go to bed as soon as he noticed that he wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer.

Some people requested him to stay while others wished him a good night. Kelrian told those who wanted him to stay up that the past days had really exhausted him and that he really needed some rest. They accepted that and wished him a good night too. Kelrian shook some hands and patted the shoulders of some people before he walked away.

He was a bit tipsy because had drunk a few glasses of wine over the past hour. He was still able to walk straight without swaying, to think clearly and speak properly. He was not drunk, so he didn't bump into other creatures by accident nor did he stumble over anything that laid on the ground.

He went to a kaldorei guard and asked them where he could find the tents for the guests. The man pointed at the thirty brown tents which were not far away from the white tents of night elves. Kelrian thanked the guard and walked over to the tents, meeting a good friend of him. She was one of the few friends who had survived the invasion. Most of Kelrian's friends had died. Zetai, Nathanos, Elonis, Verena and Sinyelle had died. Sinyelle's twin sister Tenjena and Vara were the only friends he had left apart from Elena.

"Hey, Vara. What's up?" he asked the Ranger-Captain who was standing next to the entrance of a tent. Vara was very tall for a woman. She was nearly as tall as Kelrian and had blonde hair that was made up in a ponytail. There was anugly scar on her face that started beneath her left eye and stopped right above the left corner of her mouth. She was still beautiful and liked her face as it was. She had gotten used to the scar she had received in the Second War. It was a part of her and she accepted herself the way she was.

Since the deaths of many high ranked members of the Farstriders, she was one of the few remaining rangers with much experience and influence. She was a well-respected and popular woman and was a good friend of Alleria. Since Kael'thas appointed Alleria to Regent Lady of Silvermoon, who would watch over the kingdom in the king's absence, Vara had worked together with her and had supported her whenever she could.

It had been Alleria who had asked her to accompany the king in his search for supplies. Vara was in charge of the Farstriders who went with the king while Lor'themar Theron became the new leader of the Farstriders. The king had talked him into becoming the new Ranger-General because he was the most experienced ranger after Alleria.

Vara gave Kelrian a small smile. "I'm good and you?"

"I'm good too."

"It seems you have been followed," Vara said and pointed behind him.

Kelrian turned around, spotting Elena who staggered towards him. She had drunk too much alcohol and was barely able to walk in a straight line. She stumbled but Kelrian caught her at the last moment, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. He let her go once she stood steady on two legs. "Thank you," Kel," Elena spoke with a soft voice and gave him a small smile.

"No problem, Elena. You should watch out where you are going if you don't want to get hurt."

"That's easier said than done. It's too dark to recognize anything on the ground."

"You are just too drunk for that. I'm still able to recognize the root you almost fell over."

"I guess you are right," she responded and started to laugh for no reason. It was clearly visible that she wouldn't be able to stand straight for too long. Her upper body was swaying a little and her eyes were looking somewhere else every few seconds. She was totally drunk.

He frowned and scratched his head. "You should go to bed and rest, Elena."

"I don't want to go to bed now. I want to stay up a little longer."

She made a few steps forward and nearly fell again. Once again, Kelrian caught her. He was wondering if she had done that on purpose this time or if she just was too drunk to move. He was wondering how she had managed to follow him without him noticing. He should have heard her but he didn't for some reason. Maybe he hadn't heard her because he was not sober either. He was tipsy but not drunk. His condition was not as bad as hers.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You only get yourself hurt if you keep walking around."

Elena's eyes rested on him. She didn't avert her gaze this time. It seemed she was concentrating on it. It was not easy for her to hold her gaze but she managed to do that and stared into Kelrian's eyes. Kelrian was about to say something as Elena moved her head quickly and did something Kelrian would have never expected.

She kissed him out of nowhere.

Kelrian was stunned for a few moments but he regained control over his body quickly and pulled away. He had not returned the kiss but a satisfied expression still appeared on Elena's face. She had gotten what she wanted to do for quite some time. For over fifteen years.

Kelrian noticed that he was feeling guilty for some reason. He felt guilty that another woman had kissed him. He had never officially broken up with Sylvanas, so kissing another woman or being kissed by another woman felt wrong to him. He knew that Sylvanas had been turned into a different person. She was no longer herself. She was no longer the woman he had loved with all his heart. It shouldn't feel wrong to him to kiss another woman but it felt wrong nevertheless.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Vara who regarded him and Elena curiously. "Please tell me we can sleep in separated tents."

Vara picked up a clipboard and let her gaze quickly wander over the list that hung on it. She looked up again after a few moments. "I'm afraid to tell you this but it seems that only one tent is still unoccupied. You have no other choice than to share it if you don't want to sleep outside on the cold ground."

Kelrian sighed, ignoring the wide grin on Elena's lips.

"Seems we have no other choice. I don't want to catch a cold and the ground is rather uncomfortable which means I won't find any sleep if I would lay there."

Vara nodded and signalized them to follow her. Kelrian's left arm was wrapped around Elena's shoulder, his other was wrapped around her waist. He was supporting her while walking, making sure she wouldn't fall again. He brought the drunk woman to the last free tent and helped her to get inside.

The tents had been conjured by mages so that not only two separated beds and two bedside tables were there but also small shelves, a table and two chairs. There was even a carpet that covered the hard ground. There were lamps on the bedside tables that emitted enough light for the elves to see everything around them.

Kelrian guided Elena over to the left bed and laid her down, going to the other. He removed all of his clothes except for his underwear, looking at Elena once he was finished. Her gaze rested on him and she started to get undressed once she noticed that she had his attention.

Kelrian's gaze had rested on her for nearly thirty seconds when he finally managed to avert it. He had only seen her round breasts and her nipples as he turned around and wrapped his blanket around his body, looking in the opposite direction. He knew that nothing good would happen if he would pay any attention to the half-naked, drunk woman who wanted him for several years.

He knew it was the best if he would fall asleep as soon as possible. He wished her good night but didn't speak to her. He didn't answer her when she tried to start a conversation with him. He closed his eyes and started to relax, hoping Elena wouldn't do anything inappropriate. He hoped he would fall asleep soon. Fortunately, he fell asleep twenty minutes later.


	23. Payback

_"You should have reported to me much earlier," shouted a reproachful voice. Exadius turned his head, letting his gaze wander around. The walls of the gigantic room, he had just entered, were fel green. There were numerous statues scattered all over the room. Statues which portrayed creatures of different races. Each of these statues portrayed one of the most powerful creatures the owner of the castle had slain. Angels, demons, beasts, humanoid creatures and members of various other races. Exadius counted at least fifty statues._

_He let his gaze wander again as he followed the path that was covered by a red carpet. His footsteps echoed through the room and that annoyed him but there was nothing he could about it. He ignored the sounds as best as he could and followed the path until he came to the stairs that led to the top of the small plateau on which middle a throne stood._

_He walked to the throne and bowed to the person who was sitting on it. His left knee rested on the ground, the other pointed to the ceiling. He was squatting only a few feet away from the fel green throne on which the demon, who had summoned him to her castle, was sitting._

_She sat casually on her throne, her left elbow was propped up on the armrest and her chin rested on her fist as she regarded the tall demon in front of her. "I'm at your command, Lady Felspeaker," Exadius said._

_"You didn't answer me yet. That's very rude."_

_Exadius lowered his head, signalizing his mistress how sorry he was. "I apologize for my behaviour, mistress. I didn't mean to upset you and disrespect you."_

_"You are forgiven if you have good news for me."_

_The demon swallowed. "Well...," he stopped as he saw that Alyssa's eyes narrowed. She sat upright and leaned forward, regarding him strictly. "Don't you dare to tell me you achieved nothing over the past months."_

_"I would lie if I would say that I achieved nothing. My plan is working out... just slower than I've expected. I need more time. I set him on the path that will lead him to me. He will join us soon and destroy the Lich King for us, " Exadius explained._

_"Do you just need more time or is there anything else you need?" Alyssa asked and stood up from her throne. She stepped in front of the demon who was still bowing in front of her. His head was on the same height as her's. She put her hands on his face, staring into his eyes as he caressed his cheeks. Her facial expression didn't change nor did his._

_Alyssa removed her hands and returned to her throne, sitting down. "I will give you a few more months. Tichondrius failed to keep the death knight and his army in the Burning Legion, then he was killed by Illidan Stormrage. Varimathras, Balnazzar and Detheroc failed to regain control over the Scourge. Only Varimathras survived but I already gave him a new task. The Scourge has become too powerful. You have to destroy the Lich King and kill Arthas Menethil."_

_"I will, mistress."_

_The corners of Alyssa's lips formed a smile. "I hope so. Your former subjects disappointed me, so I hope for you that you are more useful than them and complete your mission successfully."_

_"I will."_

_Alyssa didn't respond to him. She just made a gesture, telling him to go. Exadius got up and lowered his head in respect, saying goodbye to her before he turned around and walked away._

Kelrian woke up with a start, noticing that his head was hurting. He sat up and checked his surroundings. It was too dark to recognize anything, so he created a small flame which enlightened the surroundings good enough that he was able to recognize where he was. He was sitting on his bed in the tent he shared with Elena. The pink-haired woman was still lying in her bed and snoring softly in her sleep. Kelrian got up from his bed, got dressed and walked over to Elena, making sure that she was really sleeping.

He left the tent to get some fresh air and make his head clear. He still remembered almost everything he had seen in the weird dream he had just experienced. He was not sure if it was just a dream but or sort of a vision. Visions... It didn't make sense to him that he could have visions. He was not a medium who could foresee events. He was just a ranger who was able to use magic. Nothing more.

Nevertheless, he was concerned. He was wondering why he was seeing such things. He was wondering who the creatures he had seen were. Their races didn't seem to belong to the mortal races that lived on Azeroth. One of them had reminded him of night elf but she had huge horns sticking out of her head, and her skin had been greenish. He only vaguely remembered how the other guy had looked like. Somehow, he had reminded him of a giant bat. He even remembered his name. Exadius. But he didn't remember the name of the horned night elf.

He remembered what they had talked about. About a plan to destroy the Lich King. Kelrian didn't know who they were but they had the same goal as him. He wanted nothing more than Arthas' death and the destruction of the Lich King who had made Arthas do all these horrible things. He believed that these two strange creatures were on his side.

But maybe this had just been a dream and these creatures didn't exist. He hoped that they were real because they wanted to achieve the same thing as him. They had looked pretty powerful and he and his people could need every help to destroy the Lich King and make Arthas pay for his crimes. He had no idea if they were real or not. If they were real, he had no idea where to find them.

Kelrian walked through the base while thinking about the scene he had seen. It was dark outside but the numerous large torches that stuck in the ground enlightened the camp. He walked for a while and enjoyed the cold night. He was about to turn around and walk back to his tent as he spotted a familiar person. Kael'thas stood near the secured supply carriagesthey had escorted, an opened chest stood next to him. Kelrian walked over to him and regarded the chest's content curiously.

There were lots of artefacts that stored arcane energies. The blood elves could drain power from them and restore their powers and satisfy their hunger for a while. But these artefacts were not a permanent solution. They will be empty sooner or later and then the blood elves will have nothing left to sustain themselves. It was only a temporary solution but the king had no other solution at the moment. All he could do was to find the hidden supply chests in Pyrewood Village and figure out a better solution in the meantime.

"How long will these artefacts sustain us?" Kelrian asked.

Kael'thas turned his head and looked at his son who still didn't know that he was the prince of Quel'Thalas. He noticed that Kelrian looked paler than usual. His eyes glowed weaker than usual, thick veins could be seen on his neck. He didn't look healthy at all.

"Maybe a few weeks, I don't know," Kael'thas responded. He fished an amulet out of the chest and handed it to Kelrian. "There is a small amount of energy left in it. It will satisfy you for a few hours."

Kelrian took it and gave his king a thankful nod. He held it in both hands, regarded it for a few moments before he closed his eyes and focused on the energy stored in the amulet. He could feel the power, noticing that his desire to absorb it grew with each passing second. He could no longer hold back. He needed that power so badly. He didn't hesitate to drain the stored power, feeling a lot better when he was done.

He didn't feel as good as he had felt before Arthas had corrupted the Sunwell but he felt a lot better than he had felt in the previous days. Since the Sunwell's destruction, he felt a lot weaker. He felt sick, his head was hurting from time to time and sometimes his skin itched unpleasantly. Absorbing arcane energy was the only way to make him feel better.

Since the destruction of the Sunwell, he had realized how dependent his people were on its power. The Sunwell had sustained the blood elves their entire lives. They had gotten used the constant supplying of arcane energy. And now that they were no longer provided with the necessary energy, they often felt very uncomfortable. Uncomfortable and weak. Withdrawal symptoms were occurring as well. The blood elves were addicted to arcane power. They couldn't go without it and that was a big problem. A big problem for which the king hadn't found a solution yet.

"What are you doing out here at this late hour?" Kael'thas asked.

"I woke up. I had a bad...dream."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Curiosity was reflected by his eyes.

"I don't know if it was just a dream or more than that."

"More like a dream? Do you mean like a vision? Are you having visions?" Kael'thas asked surprised.

Kelrian shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest."

"Tell me about it," demanded Kael'thas.

Kelrian hesitated but then he started to explain what he remembered. Kael'thas listened carefully, a frown was visible on his forehead when Kelrian had told him everything. "That's weird," Kael'thas said after his son was done explaining.

"What do you mean, my king?"

Kael'thas turned around and stared at the moon in the sky. "I had the same dream." He looked at Kelrian again, noticing that his face reflected surprise. "That is weird indeed. Do you have any idea why we saw the same scene?"

Kael'thas hesitated at first but then he shook his head. "I have no idea." He couldn't explain to himself why he had seen the same scene as his son. He had to find out if others hadseen the same or if Kelrian and he were the only ones. "Tell me whenever you have a vision. Maybe we can figure out the reason for our visions."

"Are you sure that what we witnessed are visions and not just dreams?"

"Dreams are individual. It's very unlikely that we dream the same. It has to be a vision or something similar. We will find an explanation sooner or later but for now, we can just accept it and live with it."

"I hope so."

"We have other things to worry about. We will think about it once we salvaged the supplies in Pyrewood Village."

"So, we will speak about it another day?"

The king nodded.

"So be it. I will go back to my tent and try to get some sleep, if that's okay for you, my king."

Kael'thas chuckled. He had still not gotten used to being called king. It was strange for him to be addressed as the King of Quel'Thalas. Whenever he had heard people talking about the king they had always meant his had always associated the title king with his father. But his father was dead and he had become king. His reign had startedweeks ago and he would do anything that will be necessary to protect his people.

He was sure he would never be as good as his father but he will give his best. He will lead his people in these dark times and do anything necessary to guarantee their survival. He wanted to prove himself worthy. He wanted to prove that his father taught him well. He wanted to be a good king. A strong leader his people could count on.

He was following his father's footsteps and would reign over the blood elves from now on. There were lots of things he had to do. He had to reconquer Quel'Thalas, rebuilt it and then he had to catch Arthas Menethil and make him pay for his crimes. But he would only achieve his goals with the support of his people. He knew they wanted vengeance as badly as he wanted. He was sure lots of people would follow him when he would hunt Arthas. They would help him to bring down that mass murderer.

But first, he had to make sure that they could return to their home and start their lives anew. He had to make sure that they were safe and weren't lacking anything. He had to find a solution to the insatiable hunger of his people. They needed arcane energy the same way they needed bread and other essential goods. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if his people wouldn't get enough arcane energy. There were lots of things he had to do but he was not alone. His people would follow him and help him to find a solution.

"You can go to your tent, Kelrian. Sleep tight," Kael'thas said eventually, not knowing how long he had been lost in thoughts.

"You too, my king."

* * *

Sylvanas had sensed the aura from afar. She knew this aura better than any other aura. _He_ was coming closer. Finally. Her plan had worked out. Arthas was coming and he will pay for his crimes. He will pay for everything he had done to her, her family and her people. She couldn't wait to meet him again. She knew that only a few hours and a few miles separated her from her well-deserved and long-awaited revenge.

She had planned everything carefully. Her trap was prepared so was the poisonous arrow that would paralyse the death knight. Arthas will be at her mercy. He wouldn't be able to defend himself when she would approach him and kill him slowly. Imagining the fear in his eyes brought a small smile on her lips. She was looking forward to making him pay for his crimes. She wanted to stare into his eyes when life would slowly leave him. She will be happy when witnessing his demise. His death wouldn't be a quick nor a painless one. She will make sure of that.

Arthas came closer and closer. She could smell the blood from afar. His blood. Sylvanas assumed that the dreadlords had managed to hurt him before he had escaped their trap. They had waited for him in the capital of Lordaeron and tried to kill him there. They had failed, much to Sylvanas' satisfaction. If they would have killed Arthas, she would have never gotten her revenge. But now that he was still alive, she could have it.

Sylvanas was hiding in the shadows as Arthas arrived at the clearing a few hours later. He was accompanied by several undead creatures. Twelve in total. They were the only survivors of the unit Arthas had taken to the capital. The dreadlords and their manipulated servants had gotten rid of most of them. Sylvanas knew that Arthas' main army was still out there somewhere but they wouldn't be able to reach the death knight in time. He will be dead before anyone could save him.

Sylvanas' red eyes fell on the man she hated more than anyone else. He sat on Invincible and pressed his hand on the wound in his left hip. His other hand held Invincible's reins. The cursed runeblade rested on his back.

Sylvanas was sure he wouldn't be able to draw the sword fast enough to block the arrow. The first time they had met, he had blocked one of her arrows with Frostmourne. He had seen her and had predicted that she would shoot an arrow at him.

But this time, he didn't see her. He couldn't know she was here, so he wouldn't expect any arrow coming out of nowhere. He wouldn't see it coming this time. Also, Sylvanas was a lot stronger than she had been in life. Arthas had given her lots of power. He had done that because he had never thought that she would rebel against him one day. He had not thought it possible that she would free herself and turn against him. He had been too arrogant when he had raised her. He was still too arrogant and Sylvanas will make sure that his arrogance will be his undoing.

Sylvanas pulled the special arrow from her quiver and regarded it for a few seconds. She drew her bow, which limbs were made out of spines of dangerous beasts. She knocked the arrow and aimed at Arthas. She didn't aim at his head because she didn't want to kill him immediately. She wanted to make him suffer, so he had to stay alive. She aimed at his left upper thigh. There was a hole in his armour, so a small area of his pale flesh was unprotected. That was her target.

Sylvanas was ready but she didn't let her arrow lose yet. She waited for the signal. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait for too long. Six of her banshees appeared out of nowhere and attacked Arthas' bodyguards, taking them out before they were able to react.

Arthas' eyes were widened in surprise but the surprise was quickly replaced by annoyance. He drew his Frostmourne from his back but Sylvanas' arrow hit him before he was able to kill any of her banshees. The corners of her lips formed a small smile as a painful scream escaped the death knight's lips. He fell off his horse and landed on the hard, dead ground. Her smile became wider as she noticed the strain on his face. He was trying to get up but he was unable to do that because his body was paralysed.

Sylvanas' smile became wider as she realized that her poison had worked. Arthas couldn't get up and nobody was there to save him. He was alone and defenceless. He was at her mercy but she would show him no mercy. He had shown her no mercy when she had asked him for a clean death. He had denied her a peaceful death and raised her as a banshee. He had turned her into a monstrosity and now she will show him what she was capable of. She will show him what she had become.

She stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself to Arthas. His eyes widened but then narrowed. "Sylvanas." The sound of his voice told her that he was shocked to see her. He had not expected her to ambush him.

She managed to hold back evil laughter. The corners of her lips formed a satisfied smile as she regarded the death knight. She had waited so long for this moment. "You walked right into this one, Arthas. It's time to even the scales. Death is knocking at your door."

She didn't show the death knight how she felt. If she would still be alive, her heart would hammer in her chest and her skin would tingle in excitement. But she was no longer alive because of that man who was now lying right in front of her feet.

He was the reason why she had become an undead creature that wanted nothing more than vengeance. A creature who only lived for vengeance... A creature who had nothing but vengeance left. Vengeance was all Sylvanas had left after Arthas had taken her life and doomed the kingdom she had tried to protect by every means.

And she will enjoy her vengeance. She will enjoy what she was about to do with Arthas. She will enjoy making him suffer, making him pay for his crimes. She will enjoy hearing his painful cries. She will enjoy seeing his facial expression distort. She will enjoy watching him bleed. She will make him beg to end his life and then she will do what he had done to her. Deny him a clean death.

"Traitor. What have you done to me?" he asked. His voice reflected anger but also disbelief.

"You got hit by a special poisoned arrow I made just for you, Arthas. The paralysis you're experiencing now is only a fraction of the agony you've caused me. You will suffer for everything you did to me and then you will die a slow and painful death," she announced.

"I am death. You can't kill me," Arthas hissed. Hatred was reflected by his piercing blue eyes.

Sylvanas chuckled amused. "No, you are just a madman who thinks he's the harbinger of death. But you are not. You are just a sadistic monster who butchers innocent people. You destroyed numerous lives and doomed two kingdoms. But your evil crusade will end now. You will die and I will live."

"And then what, Sylvanas?"

Sylvanas tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. A small amount of irritation was reflected by her crimson eyes. "What do you mean?"

Soft laughter escaped his lips. Despite his hopeless situation, he still dared to mock her. "What will you do then after you killed me? Take your own life? Find your daughter and free her from the Lich King's control? Will you return to your family after you found her and pretend that nothing happened? Do you seriously think that your sisters will forgive you for killing your mother?

Do you think Kelrian will take you back? Do you really think he will love a corpse? No. He will realize that nothing is left of the woman he once loved. He will push you away and seek comfort in Elena's arms who wouldn't mind taking advantage of his grief. You are wrong if you think your life would become normal again if you kill me. You can't undo the damage I have done. You cannot revoke what I did to you. You are a lost soul and you will never be whole again. You..."

"SHUT UP, BASTARD!" screamed Sylvanas and kicked him in the face. Her kick had been so hard that his head had snapped back. Blood flowed out of his broken nose.

Arthas was still grinning at her. "Did I hit a nerve?"

Sylvanas' eyes were still narrowed. A frown was visible on her forehead and pure anger was reflected by her red eyes. She was anything but amused but she didn't answer him. She just stared at him, considering how she should hurt him next.

A wide grin was visible on Arthas' lips as he spoke again. "I understand him. If I would be him, I rather fuck a living, breathing elf with big breasts and a thick ass than an ugly corpse which voice sounds like a cracking crypt door. You would only hurt him with your unbearable voice if he would bring you over the edge. It's the best for him if he and this Elena come together and not you and him. I bet he is smashing that elven whore so badly at the moment. He lost one of his children so it would only make sense if he would make another to replace it. I'm pretty sure Elena is pretty good in b..."

He couldn't finish his sentence because Sylvanas had rammed a dagger in his right upper thigh and caused him to cry out loudly. Her lips formed a sadistic smile. She enjoyed making him suffer. She enjoyed punishing him for what he had done to her. In the last months, a lot of frustration and hatred had built up in her. She was glad she could finally let out her hatred on the person who deserved it the most. The man who turned her world upside down when he invaded Quel'Thalas and killed her. He took away all her feelings except anger, hate and sadness. He made a monster out of her and now he will pay for everything.

"Keep speaking bastard," Sylvanas snarled. "Your words mean nothing to me. You made sure that I'm no longer capable of love. All I want is your death. All I long for is to see the last signs of life leaving your body. I don't care about others. I don't care about my family. I will avenge the fallen members of my family but that's it. It's just you and me, Arthas. You will now get what you deserve."

"And then what? What will you do after you killed me? Will you find a new goal for your life, or what is left of it? Or will youseekthe clean death you've wanted from the beginning?"

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. She squatted down next to him and grabbed his throat, starting to strangle him without warning. Painful sounds escaped the death knight's lips, he tried to resist and free himself but he was still not able to move. The poison was still paralysing him, making him defenceless.

Sylvanas stared at him coldly as she lifted him up. His head was at the same height as hers, her crimson red orbs bored into his. Sylvanas wasn't showing it at the moment but she enjoyed being in this position. She enjoyed that Arthas was at her mercy. She enjoyed causing pain to him more than anything else. He had taken everything from her. Even the capability to feel love.

She had imagined this moment every day and every night. She had imagined how it must feel to torture him and kill him slowly. She had to admit that it felt much better than she had imagined. She wouldn't call herself a sadist but she really enjoyed seeing Arthas suffer. Her grip on his neck was strong, maybe a bit too strong. She had to be careful that she wouldn't accidentally strangle him to death.

His face turned blue, his eyes were widenedand but no fear was reflected by his face **.** Nevertheless, Sylvanas' smile was wide and mischievous. She had finally achieved what she wanted since he had raised her. She wanted to hurt him pretty badly and she was not done with torturing him yet. She had sworn in the names of her murdered unborn child, her mother and Sylvera that Arthas would suffer much longer.

Sylvanas dropped Arthas, smiling as he hit his head hard on the ground. The way his facial expression distorted in pain amused her. Seeing him suffering made her euphoric. It made her happy. She hadn't believed until this very moment that she could feel happiness. She had always believed she felt nothing but anger and hatred. She realized she had been wrong about this. She was able to feel happiness but only when seeing this bastard suffer. He deserved everything she was doing to him. Everything she will do to him. His death will be slow and painful. She had sworn that to herself and the ones she had lost because of him.

Sylvanas made a gesture with her hand, her eyes fell on the banshees around her. Her _sisters_ were looking forward to making him suffer too. She could see it on their ghostly facial features that they also enjoyed seeing the man, who had destroyed their lives, suffer. They were glad that their mistress allowed them to participate in giving Arthas what he deserved.

They were causing pain to him but not only physically. They physically hurt him with their loud shrieks but they also went in his mind and made him see things he didn't want to see. They made him see the ones who had been very close to him. His father, Uther the Lightbringer, his sister and at last Jaina Proudmoore. The ones Arthas had once loved reproached him, insulted him and accused him of all his mistakes.

Sylvanas' blue lips formed a wide grin. Arthas had often tormented her and set unwanted images in her head. He had made her see the ones she had loved die in various brutal ways. He had made her hallucinate things which weren't real. In these hallucinations, he had made her kill her entire family. Her cousins, her uncles and aunts, her sisters and their loved ones, her own children and at last Kelrian. He had made her hallucinate killing him thousands of times. It had been horrible to witness. It had been pure mental torture.

But now she was no longer forced to witness these hallucinations. She was no longer forced to be his pawn who only existed to slaughter in his name. She was no longer forced to kill the people she had once sworn to protect. She was free. Free from his control. Free to do whatever she wanted. It was up to her if she wanted to kill him immediately or if she would let him suffer as long as she wanted. She will kill him eventually. But first, she will cause more pain to him.

Her sisters continued to torture him. After quite some time, she signalized them to stop. The banshees obeyed her and regarded their mistress who was walking to Arthas. She pulled a dagger from her belt and squatted down next to him. She grabbed him by his hair, forcefully pulling his upper body up. His face was very close to hers so that he had no other choice than staring into her red eyes that reflected nothing but anger and hatred for him. He had turned her into this creature. He had made her suffer a lot. And he would die by her hands. Sylvanas found it amusing. Arthas was the creator who will be killed by his own creation.

Sylvanas was looking forward to ramming her blade through his heart. She wanted his death more than anything else in her undead life. The desire for revenge was all she had left. He had turned her into this monster, destroyed the kingdom she had sworn to protect and killed most of its inhabitants. Lots of members of her family were dead because of him. Her mother, her grandfather who had had no other choice than to kill his own son, who was heruncle, after he had been turned, her niece, her unborn child and her daughter were dead because of him. Two of her children were dead because of him.

She was dead because of him. She had only been one hundred and ninety years old when he had slain her. She hadn't even reached the age of two hundred. Two hundred years were nothing for a high elf. Most high elves got two to three thousand years old if they didn't die in battle. Compared to these elves she was nothing but a teenager.

She would have had at least two thousand years to live before she would have died of old age. Two thousand years in which she could have had a happy life with the man she loved. Had loved. She could no longer feel love or any other positive emotion except for happiness. But only seeing Arthas suffer made her happy. There was nothing else that made her happy these days.

She could have shared a happy life with Kelrian. She would have been Ranger-General until the end of her life while he would have risen through the ranks and would have become a Ranger-Captain one day. People would have looked up to him and chosen him as their role model. He would have become a glorious and popular Ranger-Captain. The people had loved him as much as they had loved her. She would have expanded their family with him. She would have given birth to more of his children. They would have been a happy family.

Arthas was the reason why this dream of hers could no longer be fulfilled. He had murdered her and turned her into a monster that was no longer capable of love. Kelrian would be disgusted by her appearance, by what she had become. He would never love her again and she was sure the rest of her family would also turn away from her. She will never be able to spend time her family again. Her life will never be the same. And it was all Arthas' fault.

He had destroyed her life and the lives of many others. She couldn't destroy his life because he had done that himself. She wished she could but there was nothing left she could destroy. She couldn't kill the woman Arthas had once loved in front of his eyes because she was out of her reach. She was on Kalimdor while she was in Lordaeron. She was on a different continent. It would only be fair if she would kill the people who had once meant something to him. He was responsible for the deaths of lots of members of her family. For her, it would be just to kill someone who had once been important to him.

She was not sure if it would matter to him if she would kill that human mage or not. She was not sure if anything or anyone mattered to him. All she could take from him was his own life. And that was enough for her. His death was everything she wanted.

Sylvanas pressed the tip of the dagger against the other cheek which wasn't marked by scars. She stared into his blue eyes as she cut his cheek slowly. Anger and hatred were still reflected by his eyes but no fear. He was not afraid of dying and that bothered Sylvanas. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes before she will finish him. But there was not the slightest amount of fear reflected by his face. He didn't want to give her that satisfaction.

Sylvanas was not amused. She wanted to make him afraid of her but he didn't fear death after all the torture he had suffered so far. Sylvanas had no other choice than causing more pain to him. She left more cuts in his face, making them deeper and deeper. Her dagger was dipped in poison, causing the pain he was feeling to become more intense over time. The pain will get worse and worse until he would no longer be able to bear it.

Sylvanas punched Arthas hard in the face several times with her fist, causing him to spit out two teeth. She stood up and regarded his bloody face with a mischievous grin on her face.

"What are you waiting for, Sylvanas? Finish me."

Sylvanas smile vanished, her expression became serious. She tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. "A quick death?" she asked, sounding irritated. "Like the one you gave me?"

She paused and shook her head. "No. You're going to suffer as I did. Thanks to the poison, you can't run or resist. You are at my mercy but I won't show you any mercy." Her voice became louder and angrier. "I asked you for a clean death but you refused, you sadistic bastard. You deserve to suffer as I did, Arthas."

"You're not better than me if you do to me what I did to you," Arthas spat out.

"I never said I'm better than you. You turned me into this monster. You made me what I am and now you will pay for that."

Sylvanas snapped with her fingers. Her banshees flew to Arthas, sat him upright and started to remove his upper body armour. It was tossed aside and he was leaned against a tree trunk. Sylvanas pulled her sword from her belt and pointed its tip at Arthas. "This is for Quel'Thalas," she said and rammed it through his left shoulder.

A loud painful scream escaped his lips. Sylvanas was sure that any undead near them had heard it but she didn't care. Arthas will be dead before anyone can reach him. Nobody will be able to save him.

She pulled the sword out and pointed its tip at his right shoulder. "This is for the Quel'dorei." She stabbed him.

Her grin became wider. "This is for Verena." She stabbed him in his left hip.

"This is for my mother." She stabbed him in the right hip.

"For my daughter." This time her sword pierced through his left ribcage.

The next stab was through the right ribcage. "For my unborn child."

"For Lyndia."

"For giving me the command to kill Alleria."

"For each Windrunner who died because of you."

Sylvanas paused and regarded the death knight. Blood was flowing out of his mouth and out of several wounds in his upper body. She stared into his eyes, noticing that he was still not afraid of dying. She had wished he would but she couldn't have everything. His death was all she wanted. All she needed.

She pointed her sword at his heart, piercing its tip in his flesh. "And this is for murdering me and turning me into a monstrosity that lost any positive feelings. Thanks to you, I'm only able to feel anger and hatred. You destroyed my life, Arthas."

She paused.

"Give my regards to hell, you son of a bitch."

She had waited so long for his moment. She had imagined this moment every single day since she had gotten free. She wanted this so badly. There was nothing she wanted more than ramming her sword through his heart and ending his worthless life. She had been looking forward to killing him since the day he killed her. His death was everything she desired. She had made him suffer enough. Now it was time to finish what he had started. It was time to end the butcher's life and avenge everyone who had died because of him. Her people, her rangers, her friends, her family and two of her children.

The day of reckoning had come.

Sylvanas was looking forward to witnessing the life leaving his body. She clasped the handle of the sword with both hands, making herself ready to deal the finishing blow. But she never got the chance to ram her sword through his chest.

She was hit by an arcane blast and thrown away. She got up, ignoring the waves of pain that rushed through her body. Her red eyes were widened and reflected anger. She looked around to find out what was going on. She bit her bottom lip hard, an angry hiss escaped her lips as she spotted a familiar person.

Kel'Thuzad. But he was not alone. Dozens of undead, most of them were skeletal mages and necromancers, stood behind him.

"Back, you mindless ones," he cried out and cast a shockwave, hitting several of Sylvanas' banshees. He cast several arcane missiles, hitting the banshees he had thrown away.

Sylvanas watched in horror as her banshees were taken out one by one by Kel'Thuzad and his sorcerers. Kel'Thuzad flew to the death knight and created a barrier around him. "You shall not fall today, my king," he said.

His gaze fell on Sylvanas. "Now to you, traitor."

Sylvanas was furious. Not only at Kel'Thuzad but also at herself. If she wouldn't have toyed with Arthas, he would be dead and all of her banshees that had accompanied her would still be alive. She should have killed him immediately when she had paralysed him but she hadn't. He was still alive and she was unable to kill him. Her _sisters_ died for nothing.

Sylvanas pulled herself together, knowing this was not the right moment to hate herself. She must get out of here before Kel'Thuzad would do to her what he did to her banshees. She had to survive and make another plan to kill Arthas. She had no other choice.

"This isn't over, Arthas! I'll never stop hunting you," she shouted angrily and hurried away.


	24. Pyrewood Village

"I wonder where these hidden supply chests are," said Kelrian and looked around. He stood in the middle of the market square of Pyrewood Village and was surrounded by the remains of the Scourge minions that had been slain and burned. The ground was covered by ashes, lots of building bordered the square.

The buildings were made out of solid wood and stones, the roofs were covered by grey tiles. Even though nothing but debris was left of several buildings, the village was still very beautiful. It wasn't as devasted as other villages in Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. No inhabitants were living there, they had been evacuated a long time ago. Pyrewood Village was a ghost town.

Kelrian could only hope that there were no undead creatures left. He was tired of fighting the undead. The Alliance resistance and the night elves had fought them for days and killed hundreds of them. They had mainly encountered ghouls, skeletons and undead humans. They had also fought against abominations, gargoyles and liches but they hadn't met too many of them. They had killed all undead they had met but they had lost five soldiers in total. Two blood elves, one human and two night elves.

Most of the other soldiers hadn't been injured during the skirmishes and battles. Those who had been wounded had been healed by the priests and paladins. The night elf priestesses had also been able to treat the wounded but they hadn't used the power of the light to do that. They were worshipping the Moon Goddess Elune who had given them the power to heal wounds, just like the worshippers of the light.

All of Tyrande's men were pretty powerful and had lots of experience. They were physically much stronger than the sin'dorei and the humans. They could kill more undead with heavy blows and powerful spells than their newest allies. Unlike the sin'dorei, the kaldorei weren't lacking a source that constantly provided them with power. They didn't feel weaker nor did they have to deal with withdrawal symptoms. They were able to use their full powers.

They were much more effective in killing the undead than the humans and the blood elves. Most of the undead had been killed by their hands. Without their aid, Kael'thas would have lost too many soldiers before he would have reached the village with his men.

He was grateful that Tyrande and her warriors were helping them. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened if they wouldn't have accompanied his unit. Kael'thas had promised the high priestess to help her hunt down Illidan once they would have brought all supply carriages to the nearest base of the Alliance resistance. He intended to keep his promise and help Tyrande whenever he could. He always kept his promises. He was a man of honour.

Kael'thas and Tyrande came to Kelrian. "The supplies must be somewhere. We just have to find them," said the elven king and let his gaze wander around. "I wonder where it is."

Kelrian shrugged. "It's most likely hidden somewhere. Maybe in an attic, in a cellar or somewhere else."

"Seems we have no other choice than to search everywhere. We have to find the supplies and bring them to our base. Then we can follow Illidan's tracks," said Tyrande.

Kael'thas agreed with her. "We should split up and start searching. Don't forget to watch out for undead. I assume there are still many of them hiding in some buildings. Always expect them to come out of nowhere. Be prepared for everything."

Together with Tyrande, the elven king divided their men into ten groups. Kelrian and Elena had insisted to be in a group with Dolfron, Fanomar, Valerie, Marcus and Vandiril. Vissia, Velsana and four other night elves had been chosen by Tyrande to join them. Two archers, a priestess of Elune and a huntress with a spear and a white tiger as her companion.

Their task was to search the large town hall. They were already there but they didn't enter the massive building yet. They weren't excluding that there might be many undead creatures in the building, so they decided to have someone scout it out. Vissia volunteered to do it and nobody said something against it. Not even her lover. Velsana knew that Vissia was a very capable rogue, so she was not worried at all. She knew Vissia could walk through the building without being seen by any creature.

And Vissia did that. She vanished into the shadows and entered the building, returning ten minutes later.

"What did you see?" Velsana asked as soon as Vissia appeared next to her.

"Dozens of undead. There are twenty on the ground floor and much more on the first floor. I didn't manage to explore the second floor because one of these spider-like creatures blocked the way. I could have tried to sneak past it but I had the impression that it had noticed my presence somehow, so I didn't risk anything and just returned to you. I didn't spot any chests yet. Maybe they are in the rooms on the second floor."

"We have to kill the undead and check the second floor," said Vandiril.

"Ye are right, lad," Dolfron said. His dwarven accent was clearly hearable.

Velsana, who was appointed as leader of the group by Tyrande, looked at Kelrian. "Try to kill the undead without using fire techniques. Like all the other buildings, the town hall is made out of stones but also out of wood. We don't want to set the entire building on fire, so we have to kill the undead in the traditional way. Behead them, cut through them or beat them until they stop moving. We can burn them later."

Kelrian nodded to her. "My specialisation is arcane, so that wouldn't be a problem."

"Good," the night elf warrior said. "Is everyone ready?"

She received nods from everyone. "Alright, let's go in." Velsana pulled her massive battle-axes from her back and walked to the door. She saw no point in sneaking into the building because the undead would notice them sooner or later. She kicked the door open and entered the building. The group followed her, coming into the entrance hall.

There were seven ghouls and three undead humans at the end of the hall. Thanks to Velsana advance warning, the undead were already aware of their presence. They stared at the living for a few moments before they started to move.

They were pretty fast but half of them were frozen to the floor by Kelrian. Velsana cut one ghoul in half and beheaded another one. Arrows killed three of the non-frozen undead, limbs of other undead were cut off by Fanomar, Valerie and Vandiril. Marcus wrapped a golden barrier around Valerie and protected her that way. The ghoul, which claw had come in contact with the barrier, cried out in pain as the light burned its flesh. The noises it made sounded horrible but it was silenced a few moments later. Dolfron's wolf had jumped at it and torn its head apart.

The dwarf praised his companion, shooting at the nearest undead human. Their head exploded, blood was splashed and the body fell and remained motionless on the floor. Kelrian noticed that one of the undead humans was casting a spell. He focused his power to counter it. He succeeded but there was no need for him to kill the human because Vissia had already taken care of him. She had appeared behind the male a moment later and rammed one of her daggers through his neck. She had pulled the dagger out forcefully and beheaded the undead sorcerer that way.

The rogue had drawn the attention of one of the few remaining undead on her. It turned around and rushed to her but Velsana stepped in front of her lover at the last moment and repelled the ghoul's attack. The ghoul was dead before it could attack again. Several arrows had pierced through its head that had been separated a second later by one of Velsana's battle axes.

The remaining undead in the entrance hall were dispatched quickly but more were waiting for the group in the next room. Undead humans, undead elves, skeletons and even members of the Cult of the Damned. The necromancer gave the group a hard time but they were killed eventually. Vissia had been slightly injured by the rusty sword of a skeleton but the kaldorei priestess had already taken care of the wound. The others had surprisingly remained unharmed.

Kelrian had already spent too much mana for his liking because he had had no other choice than to counter the necromancers' attempts to raise the fallen undead. The fight would have been a lot more complicated if the undead would have been raised again and again.

Elena walked to him and asked him if he was alright. Kelrian drank a mana potion and told her that he was fine. He looked exhausted but Elena didn't want to argue with him, so she just gave him a nod. The worry in her eyes was noticed by him but he didn't comment about it. He put his spellblade back on his belt and took his bow from his shoulders. He wanted to save his mana for the nerubian, so he would use the bow as long as no necromancers would be in the next room.

Fortunately, the next room was empty. No creature was there nor in the last room on the ground floor. The group left the last room and came to two stairs. One led to the first floor and the other to the cellar. Velsana decided to check the cellar first, so the group went downstairs, killing the seven ghouls that were gathered there.

There were lots of wine casks on the right side of the huge room and lots of shelves on the other side. The shelves contained cheese, meat, fruits, vegetables and other food. But most of the food was no longer edible because it was already mouldy.

Even if they weren't, no member of Velsana's group would eat anything. They couldn't know if the cultists had used spells on them. It was not unlikely that consuming the food would turn the humans into undead creatures.

"We should burn the food and pour away the wine after we have killed all undead creatures. We cannot risk that refugees who might come into this village would eat that food that might be contaminated," said Velsana.

"You are right," said Kelrian. "Not burning the food might have fatal consequences."

The night elf nodded. "We will exterminate the food but first we need to kick more undead asses. Follow me, guys."

The group followed her to the first floor. They came in a wide and long corridor and could already see the undead at its end. Arrows flew, killing half of the undead before they had realized the presence of the living. The other half was killed rather quickly. The group went through the rooms on the first floor, killing every undead creature they spotted.

They came to the second floor, spotting the nerubian Vissia had mentioned in the first corridor. It was much bigger than any nerubian the group had ever met. Its six legs were very long, thick and long spikes came out of its knees. Its abdomen was much thicker and spiked as well. Its skin was as white as chalk and each of its six eyes glowed bluish. It had two strong arms and two fingers with sharp and very long fingernails at each claw.

The Nerubian was alone but the group knew they shouldn't underestimate it. It looked pretty powerful and it was not unlikely that it was also a spellcaster. Velsana ordered the group to wait. She allowed the archers to draw their bows and aim, Kelrian was ordered to prepare a spell to freeze the creature's claws to prevent it from casting any spell. The kaldorei priestess should shield the melee fighters who would attack the big spider thing as soon as Kelrian, Dolfron and the archers started firing at it.

Velsana told Marcus to use the holy light to weaken the nerubian while Vandiril should try to stop any of the nerubian's spells in case it would manage to free its hands somehow. Vandiril was not only a Silvermoon Guardian but also a spellbreaker who had been taught in countering spells effectively. The training of spellbreakers had begun after King Kael'thas had renamed the high elves to blood elves. In case Vandiril wouldn't succeed, it was Kelrian's task to counter the creature's spells.

The plan was good but not everything went as planned.

Kelrian created an ice blast and threw it at the nerubian, expecting that its hands would be frozen. But it didn't work as he had hoped for. The spell was absorbed by an invisible barrier that was wrapped around the creature's body. A loud hiss escaped the creature's lips, its six eyes narrowed and landed on the living. Arrows and a bullet flew through the air but the barrier protected the nerubian from these missiles as well. At least the group could notice that the barrier dissolved after it had blocked the last missile.

The nerubian was no longer protected but that didn't make it less deadly. It cast a spell, knocking away the melee fighters who had started to run towards it. The shields that had been cast on them prevented them from being injured as they collided with the walls. The nerubian cast another spell but Kelrian managed to counter it at the last moment.

He noticed that two of the creature's eyes rested on him while the others rested on his comrades. The nerubian was taking a closer look at him because it had realized that Kelrian was a thorn in its side. It considered Kelrian as the biggest threat, so it aimed its next spell at him.

Kelrian was hit by an arcane blast and thrown away. The barrier hadn't been strong enough to absorb the entire damage that would have been done by the spell. Kelrian's upper body hurt, his uniform was damaged but he was neither bleeding nor was any bone broken. The spell could have been more devastating if the barrier wouldn't have been there to protect him. He was glad that he had created the barrier before they had entered the second floor. He didn't want to imagine how badly the spell would have wounded him if the barrier wouldn't have absorbed most of its power. The nerubian was much stronger than he had expected.

He got up and tried to prepare another counterspell in case the nerubian would cast again but it didn't work. Kelrian was wondering what was going on. He assumed that the nerubian had been faster and cast the same spell on him, preventing that he could cast any spell for an unknown amount of time. Kelrian had no other choice than to draw his bow from his back and shoot arrows at the big undead spider.

Velsana and the other melees had reached the nerubian in the meantime and were fighting against it. It managed to kick Marcus away and block Vandiril's attempt to make it unable to cast any spell but it didn't manage to avoid Velsana's attacks which resulted in the loss of one of its legs. The creature howled as its left foreleg was separated, blood splashed and stained the warrior's armour. She even got it in her face and in her eyes but fortunately for her, the blood was neither poisonous nor corrosive. She was just blinded for a few moments but her vision returned quickly.

She noticed just in time that the nerubian tried to hit her with its right foreleg but she blocked it with her axes at the last moment. The nerubian roared out angrily as Vandiril rammed his sword in its torso. It kicked him away, tried to hit Velsana again and the warrior tried to block it. The attack had been so powerful that the blade of the axe in her left hand shattered. If Velsana was surprised, she didn't show it.

She bit her bottom lip and dropped the axe, taking her second axe in both hands. It was large enough that it could be used as a double-handed weapon. The other axe had been as large as this one, meaning she had carried double-handed axes in both hands before one had been destroyed. She was much stronger than she looked like.

More arrows hit the nerubian. One of Elena's arrows hit one of the six eyes, causing that a painful cry escaped the creature's lips. The nerubian was distracted for a moment, allowing Velsana to cut the other foreleg off. Four legs remained. Marcus used the holy light to hurt the nerubian, paralyzing its body. The nerubian broke out of the paralysis faster than expected, spitting a purple liquid right in the paladin's face. The liquid came in contact with the human's skin but nothing happened at first.

The melees were keeping it busy while the archers and Dolfron were aiming at the nerubian's eyes, destroying two more. Dolfron's wolf buried its sharp teeth in one of the nerubian's remaining legs, Velsana picked up Vissia and threw her in the air. The rogue landed on the nerubian's head and rammed her daggers in the three remaining eyes, making the undead nerubian totally blind.

Another painful roar escaped the nerubian's mouth, it went wild and tried to hit anyone around it. Fanomar and Valerie were thrown against the walls but they managed to get up quickly. They joined the other quickly and helped to cut off the remaining legs before they separated the nerubian's ugly head.

Velsana regarded the dead nerubian with a satisfied smile on her lips, then she took her girlfriend's hand and helped her climb off that massive thing. She stared into Vissia's eyes, put a hand on her cheek and rubbed it. Vissia returned her smile, blushing a little.

The warrior pulled away eventually and looked at her group. "Is everyone okay?" she asked. Her gaze fell on Marcus whose skin colour had changed. It no longer had its natural pink colour but a light purplish colour instead.

"That doesn't look good," said Kelrian.

The kaldorei priestess walked over to Marcus and regarded him worriedly. "He is poisoned."

"Can you help him?" Kelrian asked.

The priestess shrugged. "I have no idea. I never dealt with nerubian poison before. I doubt that an antidote for spider venom would help."

"There must be something we can do for him," said Elena.

The priestess' gaze fell on the dead nerubian. "I could try to use its poison to make an antidote but that would take some time. I don't know how much time he will have nor do I know if it would work."

"You have to try it, Melysa," said Velsana.

The priestess nodded. "I will."

Velsana's gaze landed on the huntress and on one of the kaldorei archers. "You will guide them outside as soon as Melysa has extracted the poison. Protect them from any undead creature." The women nodded and walked to Marcus and the priestess. Velsana pointed at the other end of the corridor. "The rest will follow me."

They did as they were told, walking through the corridor. They came into the next room, spotting a dozen undead. Although four soldiers were missing this time, they had no problem killing the undead in this room and the next. They cleared the rooms on the second floor one by one, arriving in the major's office eventually in which they found five skeletons and a big abomination.

The skeletons died quickly but the abomination refused to die within the first ten minutes. It took hard blows, got hit by many arrows, bullets and spells but it died eventually. It would have been much easier to take it down if Kelrian would have been allowed to use fire techniques but the risk that he would have set the entire building on fire would have been too high.

They separated the abomination's body parts in case there were still necromancers somewhere in the building. They threw the head out of the nearest window, knowing the abomination wouldn't be able to do much without it if it would be raised again. Kelrian had witnessed how necromancers had put separated body parts together before they had raised creatures that had been cut into pieces. He knew that cutting off its limbs and head was not a permanent solution but it was better than nothing for the beginning. They would burn the abomination with the other slain creature once they were done with everything.

Kelrian looked around for any chests in the mayor's office. He spotted one but nothing but personal objects, that had belonged to the mayor, were inside. They didn't find anything until Elena spotted a secret door switch. She had accidentally come in contact with a candelabrum, that was hanging on a wall, and moved it a little.

A secret door next to the candelabrum opened, Dolfron and Kelrian were ready to shoot at any undead creatures that would come out. But no creature came. Elena and Velsana entered the room carefully, their weapons were drawn in case any undead creature would jump on them the moment they would step in.

Fortunately, there were no creatures in the room. Except for a huge chest, the entire room was empty. The chest was made out of solid black wood and locked by a massive padlock.

"Seems we need to find the key," said Kelrian.

Vissia walked over to the chest and regarded the padlock curiously. "We may not need it. I think I can crack it," she responded and pulled a set of picklocks from her belt. She fumbled around with picklocks of various sizes while the others had walked back to the office and were looking for a key in case, she couldn't crack it.

But the rogue managed to crack the padlock, informing everyone that she had done it. They came back in the room and regarded the chest expectantly. Vissia opened the chest, revealing that it was filled to the brim with blue crystals. Crystals from which the blood elves could drain the arcane energy that they needed so badly.

"I wonder why the mayor of a human village has so many of these crystals," said Valerie thoughtfully.

Kelrian shrugged. "Who knows? I don't really care why he had them because I'm glad he did. These crystals can sustain us for weeks if we divide them carefully."

"I would suggest you examine them first before you drain power from them. Who knows if a smart member of the Scourge spotted them and manipulated them somehow? Everything is possible these days. I would be careful if I were you," said Valerie. "It's not unlikely that they found the key, opened it and did something with the crystals before they locked the chest again."

"You are right," responded Kelrian and got closer to the chest. "I should have enough mana left to examine them but it wouldn't be thorough enough. We should bring them to Silvermoon and let the magisters take a closer look at them."

"Alright, let me carry the chest," said Velsana and closed it.

"Alone?" Kelrian asked surprised.

"Why do you sound so surprised? I'm able to wield two two-handed battle-axes with no problem, so it shouldn't surprise you that I'm able to lift up a chest full of crystals."

"But the chest is huge and I bet it's pretty heavy."

Velsana put her axe on her back, kneeled down and lifted it up. She smirked as she saw the surprised expressions on the faces of the humans and blood elves. "I'm stronger than I look like. Many do the mistake to underestimate me. They think I can't lift such heavy things because I'm a woman. You are not the only ones I proved wrong. It's always a pleasure for me to amaze others."

"I didn't intend to underestimate you but I would have never expected you to be so strong. I never met a woman who was as strong as you before. I mean, your body is pretty muscular but your muscles still look natural. If a person could lift that, I would have expected them to be much more muscular. Their muscles wouldn't have looked natural then. They would have looked like they were on steroids," replied Kelrian.

"I know what you mean but I don't need to be on steroids to lift something heavy like that. Lots of people can't explain how I'm able to do that and I cannot even explain it myself. I'm just very strong since I was a little girl. I was born that way."

"Seems your goddess gave you a unique gift."

Velsana chuckled. "I'm not a very religious person. Vis is, but I'm not. Vissia prays at least two times a day but I only pray to Elune the day before a huge battle. I doubt that Elune blessed me or gave me a special gift. I'm just an ordinary woman, nothing more."

"As the son of a paladin and a member of a family full of priests and paladins, I used to pray to the Sunwell every day but since its destruction...I don't know what I should pray to."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" Velsana asked.

"The Sunwell has become corrupted, so we were forced to blow it up. I will give you the details later and tell you what exactly happened if you want. We don't have the time for storytelling. We should get out of the town hall and help the other groups," replied Kelrian.

Velsana nodded. "You are right about that. We have to check on Marcus and then search the next building."

The group didn't meet any undead as Velsana guided them out of the town hall. They left the building and spotted Melysa, the two other night elves and looked a bit better but his skin colour still hadn't become natural again. He was still poisoned.

"How is he doing?" Velsana asked worriedly.

Melysa looked up at her. "I haven't fully neutralized the poison yet but at least he is no longer vomiting."

"He vomited?"

The priestess, who was kneeling next to Marcus and casting a spell on him, nodded. "What about the antidote?" Kelrian asked.

"I gave the extracted poison to a human alchemist who is currently working on it. I have no idea if he will finish it in time. I have no idea how exactly this poison works. Marcus may look fine but we don't know if he actually is. I have had patients in the past who had looked fine but their innards had been slowly decomposed by a very special and rare poison. Let's hope that's not the case for him."

Kelrian put a hand on the human's shoulder, looking into his brown eyes. "Everything will be alright, Marcus. Do not lose hope."

A weak smile appeared on the human's lips. "Don't worry, I will never lose hope. Losing hope is the worst that can happen in these dark times. We always have to stay positive and find a way to survive. We must stay strong and endure in these dark times. We can only hope that our lives will get better one day."

"You are right about that. We have to stay positive. Always. Hold out, my friend."

"I have no other choice," Marcus replied.

"Captain Wildlance," a male voice suddenly shouted. Velsana turned around and spotted one of Tyrande's fellow warriors. "What are you doing here, Jazmend?"

"The High Priestess sent me and others to inform you and the other groups about the approaching undead."

"The undead are approaching? How many?"

"Our scouts spotted several hundred creatures."

A grim expression could be seen on Velsana's face. "That's not good. What are the High Priestess' orders?"

"She wants you to bring the supplies to the caravan and bring it to the town's east. But you have to hurry because the Scourge army is pretty fast. The undead will arrive soon."

Velsana nodded and turned to her group. "You heard him. Hurry guys. We have to reach the caravan as soon as possible. Go! Go! Go!"


	25. The Caravan

The air was cool, the sky was covered by dark clouds. It looked like it would start raining soon, the wind was howling quietly and the stench of the undead stung in the noses of the living. The stench was strong and disgusting, some of the living couldn't help but vomit in one of the nearest bushes.

Kelrian was one of them who couldn't bear the horrible stench. He hadn't eaten much since they had left Pyrewood Village a few days ago. His stomach no longer contained the little amount of food he had eaten for breakfast.

He was kneeling in front of a bush, breathing heavily. He waited and waited until he was sure that his stomach had stopped rebelling. He turned his head as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Elena stood behind him and regarded him worriedly. "Are you okay, Kel?"

"Not really."

"What's wrong?"

Kelrian hesitated for a moment. "Everything. I feel so weak, my body is hurting and my hunger for arcane energy gets worse with each passing day. It becomes more difficult from day to day to keep myself under control. It's a real challenge sometimes to not drain every bit of power from every source of power I get in my hands. The temptation to absorb the arcane energy of the objects in the carriages becomes stronger and stronger. I have no idea how long I will be able to control myself. Mages like the king and I have been hit much harder by the Sunwell's destruction. Rangers like you don't require as much power as we do. Mages are nothing without a source of power. You, on the other hand, are still able to fight properly."

Elena frowned. "You are also a ranger, Kel."

"I know but my magic is much deadlier than my arrows. I can kill many undead creatures at once with my spells. Fire is our strongest weapon, but this weapon is getting weaker every day. Our hunger for more power grows with each spell we use."

Elena squatted down next to him, put her hands on his face and stared into his eyes. "I wish I could help you somehow but I have no idea how. All I can do is cheer you up and tell you to stay strong. I feel bad for not being able to help you. If there is anything I can do for you, just tell me."

Kelrian nodded and gave her a slight smile. Elena regarded him worriedly. He looked a bit thinner, his skin was paler and dark circles were under his eyes that glowed weaker than usual. The destruction of the Sunwell had affected him negatively. But not only him. Elena and all the other blood elves were affected too. Elena's condition was not as worse as Kelrian's but she was not feeling well either. She was pale too and she had headaches from time to time.

Most of the time they were only minor but sometimes they were quite intense. She was lucky she hadn't had any bad headaches in a battle yet. But even slight headaches were already annoying enough when she was fighting the undead. She had to be focused and that was not easy with a hurting head.

"Your condition is worse than mine. By far worse," she paused. "There might be something I could do for you."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, giving her a curious look. "And what would that be?"

Elena took something out of her backpack. It was a potion and it was half empty. "I already consumed half of my daily ration and I feel good for now. You need it more than me, so I suggest that you take it."

Kelrian's eyes reflected doubt. "Don't you need all of it?"

"Well...I think so...But I'm not as dependant on it as you are. I'm not a mage like you."

"But your body still needs it. Your condition will not get better if you only consume half of your ration."

Elena gave him a weak smile. "But yours won't get better either even if you consume your entire ration. You need more and our people need mages against the Scourge more than ever. My body can function with only half of the ration but yours cannot. You need more energy and I will volunteer to give you half of each of my daily rations. We won't manage to defeat the undead without mages. Our people need talented mages like you in these dark times."

"You might be right about that but... I don't want to imagine what happens to you if you don't get enough arcane energy. I don't want your condition to get worse."

The corners of Elena's mouth formed a small smile. She caressed his left cheek softly. "I'm glad that you worry about me, that means you feel something for me. But I'm sure I can handle it. Our daily ration is not enough to satisfy us. My condition will get worse anyway but yours will get much worse than mine if you don't consume more arcane energy. I don't know if you noticed that lots of people are looking up to you, Magister Rommath and the king. You belong to the strongest remaining mages. They need you and so do I."

Kelrian shook his head slightly. "Only because the strongest mages died during the invasion."

A serious look appeared on Elena's face. "I'm not joking. It's known for a while that the king considers you as one of the best apprentices he ever had. Magister Rommath once told me that you have great potential and that you will belong to our best mages one day. Seems he was not wrong about that. You killed hundreds of undead with your flames and saved lots of lives that way. You shouldn't underestimate yourself. You are pretty powerful."

"Was."

Elena raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Was?"

"I was a powerful mage. Since the Sunwell's destruction, I'm no longer powerful. Without a constant supply of this necessary energy, I'm nothing."

"I don't buy that. You are still strong, Kel. You just have to believe in yourself. If you don't want to do it for yourself then do it for me. Would you? I want you to stay positive and fight as if it would be your last day. Our days might be numbered. I don't want you to die and I don't want to die either. Don't forget about your family. Your son needs you. I need you."

Kelrian nodded. "You are right," he said quietly. "I will accept your offer but only as long as your condition doesn't get worse."

"Sounds fine to me," responded the pink-haired woman.

"Do you want anything in return?"

"Just your appreciation."

"You already have it. You have helped me get through a very difficult time. You have helped me to come to terms with the past and motivated me to keep going and fight for the freedom and safety of our people. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Elena just smiled and said nothing in return, caressing Kelrian's left cheek softly. He returned the smile and was silent as well. The silence lasted for a few minutes until Kelrian decided to break it. "I still owe you something for everything you did for me."

"I will keep that in mind, Kel," responded Elena and handed him the potion. Kelrian took it, removed the lid and took a sip. It didn't taste very good but that was not the purpose of the potion. Its purpose was to provide him with arcane energy and make him feel better.

Kelrian didn't like the bitter taste but he drank it nevertheless. He immediately felt a little better and some colour came back into his face within a short time. His limbs stopped hurting and his skin stopped tingling nervously. He felt fresher and not as weak as before.

"Thanks, Elena. I'm feeling much better." He patted her shoulder softly and gave her a smile. He stared into her eyes and found out that she was doing the same. They held gazes for nearly two minutes and only pulled away when they heard footsteps.

Tyrande stood in front of them and regarded them with a serious expression on her face. "The undead will arrive soon. Prepare to fight."

"How many are coming?" Elena asked.

"A few hundreds at least."

"They outnumber us," concluded Kelrian.

"They do," said Tyrande. "We need to keep the caravan moving while we try to hold them off. The river Arevass is near. If we manage to cross the river and destroy the bridge, we should be safe."

"The undead will do anything to prevent us from reaching the bridge," responded Kelrian. Worry was reflected by his face.

"Not everyone will survive. Let's hope their sacrifices will not be in vain," replied Tyrande.

Elena's gaze fell on the high priestess. "Our people need these supplies. The carriages not only contain artefacts and crystals which store arcane energy. They also contain food and valuable resources like gold, ores and materials we need to rebuild Quel'Thalas. Our people need these resources, especially food. Our supplies will be used up soon and our people will starve if we don't bring the caravan to Silvermoon City. Not to mention what the lack of arcane energy will do to our people. We need to succeed by any means."

The high priestess gave her an understanding nod. "I will do everything in my power to protect the caravan. May Elune protect us."

Maiev came to them. "The caravan just started moving, so we should move too."

"You have heard her," responded Tyrande. "Let's go."

Kelrian and Elena followed the night elves to the caravan which consisted of four large wooden carriages that were filled with chests in which the collected supplies were stored. Lots of men were walking next to these carriages and would protect them in case the undead would try to destroy them.

These men and women were rangers, mages, priests and paladins but there were also night elf archers, druids and even warden. One mountain giant was walking ahead of the caravan while the other walked behind the last carriage. They would be very important for the defence of the caravan because they could kill dozens of undead at once. They were thirty feet tall and could squash many undead creatures with their huge feet and fists.

Kelrian, Elena, Maiev and Tyrande walked behind the last carriage, expecting the undead to attack it first. Indeed, the undead came for the last used his bow at first, knowing he would only be able to cast a limited number of spells, even though he had consumed half of Elena's ration. He fired fiery arrows at the undead just like Elena, Tyrande and every other archer. Druids and mages cast spells, the mountain giants tore trees and rocks out and threw them at the undead. Several dozen undead were burned or squashed but there were still too many that were coming closer and closer.

Their front line consisted of ghouls, skeletons and raised humanoid creatures. Behind their frontline were nerubians and abominations, gargoyles and raised dragonhawks flew through the air. Kelrian could even see several necromancers behind the abominations.

He informed the surrounding men about the necromancers and Tyrande ordered every person who had a ranged weapon or was able to use magic to kill the necromancers first. Even the mountain giants threw lumps of rocks at them but they weren't able to kill all of them. Half a dozen necromancers were still alive as the first group of ghouls and skeletons reached the frontline of the living.

The undead jumped on the soldiers and dragged them to the ground. Most of them were bitten to death or torn apart, only some of them could be saved by others who also helped them back to their feet. The necromancers raised those whose bodies hadn't been burned and commanded them to fight the living.

Arrows and spells flew throw the air, the ground was consecrated, hurting all undead that were standing in the zone. Fire spread out quickly and consumed the bodies of dozens of undead within a short amount of time. Undead were thrown away by shock waves, frozen or rooted to the ground by mages and druids. The mountain giants kicked abominations and other undead away and even squashed lots of them with their feet. But there will still too many out there.

"KEEP MOVING," shouted Kael'thas as he shot a large pyroblast at the nearest abomination, killing it and several undead creatures around it. He focused the remains of his power and summoned his loyal companion Al'ar. The phoenix rose in the air and spat fire at the nearest gargoyles and undead dragonhawks. It killed several of them and lured the remaining away from the carriages.

Kelrian noticed that the king looked pretty exhausted. The creation of the pyroblast and the summoning of the phoenix had cost him most of his mana. Like all the other blood elves, he was also affected by the Sunwell's destruction. He was no longer able to cast as many spells as he used to. The number of spells he was able to cast was limited. Fortunately, he had mana potions, the amulets and other artefacts from which he could draw power.

Kelrian had two mana potions and one amulet full of arcane power left. He knew his amount of mana was limited, so he used it wisely. He had summoned a water elemental and only cast fire spells which hit more than one creature. On average his spells hit six to eight undead. He set many on fire and even slew some creatures with his sword.

The living fought hard, dozens died but hundreds of undead were killed in return. The last necromancer was not fast enough to raise most of the fallen before they were burned. He managed to raise a few but most fallen undead and living creatures turned to ashes before his spell was completed.

Gargoyles were attacking the mountain giants but Al'ar and some archers took care of them. They were brought down one by one until no undead flying creature flew through the air. There were several liches who shot arcane and frost spells at the mountain giants, some of them even attacked the phoenix but it was too fast and dodged all of their spells. Al'ar spat out fire, burning numerous undead creatures on the ground.

The caravan was coming closer and closer to the river but more living and undead fell in the meantime. The night elves, blood elves and humans fought fiercely but they were still too many undead out there. All they had to do was to hold out until the caravan would cross the river.

Kelrian consumed his last mana potion and drew power from the artefact around his neck, shooting a large fireball at the nearest foes. The fireball exploded, killing more than a dozen undead at the same time. Even an abomination and a lich had been torn apart by the explosion. The fire spread out quickly and ignited more creatures. Some of them managed to reach the living and set them on fire as well, others died too fast. Kelrian watched in horror as the body of a male night elf was set on fire. He tried to extinguish the flames but an ice lance pierced through the night elf's chest, killing him immediately.

Kelrian's gaze fell on the lich who had killed the night elf. The skeletal mage was looking at him, his hands were forming a blue sphere of energy. It was casting a spell but Kelrian managed to counter it at the last moment. One of Elena's explosive arrows hit the lich in the head and blew it apart.

The last necromancer didn't live for too long. A precise arrow from Tyrande was enough to kill the cultist. Now that he was gone no undead creature could be raised. All liches and all necromancers had been killed.

Kelrian used the last remains of his mana to spread more fire. Unrecognizable sounds escaped the lips of the undead as the fire turned their bodies to ashes. The undead army became smaller and smaller the closer the caravan got to the river. The mountain giants threw themselves on the ground, squashing dozens of undead that way. Volleys of arrows rained down on the undead, spheres of energy exploded and tore several of them apart. Flames consumed the undead, ice froze their feet to the ground and prevented them from coming closer.

Kelrian had used the last remains of his mana, he had even drained his artefact empty, so he had no other choice than to use his bow and later go in melee combat after he would have spent his last arrow. He cut through the undead, avoiding and blocking most of their attacks. He got hit from time to time but these wounds were not mortal nor did they stop him from fighting.

Four undead approached him. Two skeletons and two ghouls. He beheaded the first skeleton, pierced his sword through the chest of the first ghoul and cut off the limbs of the second skeleton. An arrow finished off the last ghoul, fire consumed its body.

Kelrian checked his surroundings, noticing the dozens of corpses around him. Corpses of humans, elves and undead were scattered all over the ground which was covered by the blood of the fallen. The battle had turned into a massacre pretty quickly and this massacre was far from over.

There were still dozens of undead creatures left which gave the living a hard time. Kelrian slew a nerubian with the help of Vissia and Valerie and walked towards the nearest undead creatures as he heard a loud familiar cry. He turned around immediately, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Elena fall to the ground. A raised male human stood next to her, his sword stuck between her ribs. Kelrian didn't hesitate to rush over to her, a loud and angry scream escaped his lips as he beheaded the undead before it was able to do something.

Kelrian kneeled down next to Elena and lifted her upper body up, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He pulled the sword out and removed her upper body armour to take a closer look at her wound. The fresh wound was not the only wound she had received. There was a long and deep cut which started beneath her right breast and ended beneath her navel. It was evident that she was losing a lot of blood quickly.

Kelrian tore a large strip of cloth from his uniform and pressed it on the wound. He took Elena's hand and put it on the fresh wound between her ribs. "You have to press your hand on the wound to stop the bleeding," Kelrian said. His face and his voice reflected worry.

He was afraid of losing her. She meant something to him. She had been there for him over the past months and helped him to hold out in these dark times. He didn't want to lose her. She was one of the few people who meant a lot to him and had survived the Scourge invasion so far.

He had never considered her as one of his best friends before the fall of Quel'Thalas but since that and the death of his best friend, Elena was one of the few friends he had left. Nathanos and Zetai were dead so was Elonis. Apart from his sisters-in-law and Vara, Elena was the only friend he had left. He didn't want to lose her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," Elena pressed through gritted teeth.

Kelrian regarded her while pressing the piece of cloth on her wound. Her skin was very pale, her eyes were widened in shock. Her wounds were deep and she had already lost much blood. It was not looking good for her. Kelrian looked around, noticing that the remaining undead had been dispatched in the meantime. The battle was over.

"I need a healer," he shouted. Melysa ran over to him and kneeled down next to Elena. She took a quick look at her. "This is not looking good. She already lost too much blood. I need to treat her immediately."

"We won't have time for this," said Maiev and pointed south. "More undead are coming. We've defeated the first wave but the second wave is advancing."

"I'm not leaving her. I'm not going to let her die," shouted Kelrian. A mix of anger and sadness was reflected by his eyes.

"It's okay, Kel. If you don't go, the undead will approach us and kill us." Elena's voice was weak and the look on her face told him that she had already accepted her fate.

"She fought well," responded Maiev and came closer. "But we can't save everyone. We need to leave her behind."

"I'm not going to leave her behind. I will take her with me and we will treat her on the other side of the river."

"She may not make it past the river," said Melysa.

Kelrian looked around, his gaze fell on the last carriage. "We can put her on top of the carriage and you could heal her there. I won't let her die."

"The last carriage may not survive another assault. We've run out of time, the undead are approaching," said Kael'thas worriedly.

Kelrian regarded the king for a few moments, then his gaze fell back on the pink-haired woman. She was getting weaker with each passing minute. Melysa was already healing her but Elena's condition didn't seem to get better. She wouldn't hold out long if Melysa would stop healing her. The undead will catch up to her and do unspeakable things to her if she would be left behind. Kelrian couldn't allow that. She was way too important to him. He didn't want to lose her. He had already lost his wife, his mother-in-law, his niece-in-law and other members of his family.

He had lost too many friends and comrades. He couldn't allow that Elena would die too. Not after everything they went through together. Their captivation by the Amani trolls, the battle at the First Elfgate, the fall of Silvermoon City and the escape from Quel'Danas. They went through a lot in the past. He couldn't let the undead kill her. He had to save her.

"I refuse to leave her behind."

Kael'thas put a hand on his shoulder but he shook it off. The king frowned but didn't say anything, he just stood there and regarded his secret son who was struggling with his emotions.

"We might be able to save her," said Tyrande. All eyes rested on her, so she didn't hesitate to speak further. "Put her on the top of the carriage and treat her. Move the caravan across the river. My best archers and I will stay behind and hold the bridge."

"That's very noble of you, Tyrande," replied Maiev. Worry appeared in her eyes. "But you're no match for a force that vast. The undead will kill you and your rangers."

"She is right. You will only find death if you try to hold the bridge," said Kael'thas.

A smirk appeared on Tyrande's purple lips. "I'm stronger than I look like. The goddess is my shield. Elune will grant me the strength to deal with these foul creatures. Put your faith in me and Elune."

Neither Kael'thas nor Maiev were convinced of her plan but they agreed with her because they knew they had no other choice. If they wouldn't manage to bring the caravan to Silvermoon, everything would have been for nothing. Dozens of night elves, blood elves and humans would have died in vain if they wouldn't succeed and complete their mission. They had no other choice than to agree to Tyrande's plan.

"Let's go then," ordered Tyrande and made her tiger move towards the bridge. She stopped in front of the bridge and waited until the caravan had passed it, then she took position in the middle of the bridge. Six archers stood in front of her, their bows were drawn and their arrows were knocked. Tyrande looked back for the last time, noticing that Kael'thas and Maiev were watching her while following the caravan. She received a nod from the warden, then she turned around and stared at the horde of undead that was coming closer.

"Fear not, sisters. We will defeat them. Elune will give us the necessary strength to deal with the undead. Shoot as soon as the undead come in range." Tyrande received nods from the archers. She closed her eyes and focused her power, asking for Elune's aid. She felt a tremendous amount of power flowing through her body. Elune had heard her call. Tyrande knew she could do this. She knew she could defeat the second wave.

She opened her eyes again, recognizing that the undead were not far away from the bridge. The archers had already started shooting fiery arrows at their enemies. Tyrande noticed the bluish aura around her body. It was Elune's blessing. Elune would protect her and provide her with enough power to take down the second wave.

She didn't hesitate to use the temporary power to kill the undead. Moonfire rained down on the undead, killing any creature that was hit by these beams of lunar light. Even larger creatures like nerubians and abominations didn't survive the contact with the moonfire. More and more undead died the longer the barrage of moonfire rained down on them. The beams landed randomly. Most of them hit the undead and killed them but there were even some beams which didn't hit any undead creatures. Tyrande couldn't control where these beams landed.

Tyrande knew that these destructive beams didn't distinguish between enemy and ally. They killed any creature they hit. She could have used this power in the battle against the first wave but she would have hit her allies too. The risk of accidentally destroying the carriages or killing her own allies would have been too high, so she hadn't used that technique. But now that no allies, except for the six archers, and no carriages were in her near, Tyrande could fully unleash the power Elune had given her and extinguish the undead.

Half of the undead were gone already as the first ghoul reached the bridge. Her archers fought fiercely but they were killed one after one. It hurt Tyrande to hear their painful screams and to see the undead tearing their bodies apart. It pained her to witness their deaths but at least she knew they hadn't died in vain.

They had bought Tyrande enough time to kill more undead creatures with her moonfire. She knew that her power was not endless. She noticed that she had already used most of Elune's granted power. She knew she would only be able to hold out for a few more minutes but she was sure these few minutes would be enough to kill the remaining undead.

Barely more than three dozen undead were left. They stepped on the bridge and ran towards Tyrande but the beams killed them. Tyrande noticed that the aura around her body had gotten weaker. The time was limited but she was not done yet. She had to stop the undead by any means. She focused the last remains of her power and created the biggest moonfire she had ever seen so far. It was five times the size of a normal moonfire and it flew a lot faster.

The beam of lunar light hit the remaining undead, killing most of them. Only five creatures were left but the deaths of their comrades didn't bother them. They still moved, coming closer and closer to the high priestess. Tyrande drew her sword from her belt, signalizing her tiger to pounce on the undead. The tiger obeyed and jumped, landing on a ghoul and squashing it with its weight.

A loud crack was hearable when the majestic beast landed. Tyrande had been so focused on killing the undead that she hadn't noticed that the bridge had been damaged by her moonfire. The bridge was unstable and would collapse if anyone would do a wrong step. The night elf knew she had to order her tiger to jump to the other side of the bridge to prevent the bridge from collapsing under its weight. But the majestic beast had already acted on its own before the night elf could give the order.

The tiger landed on the next undead, squashing it too. Unfortunately, it had landed on an insecure spot. The wood beneath the tiger's feet gave away and the beast and its rider landed in the river.

Kael'thas watched in shock as the bridge collapsed and the tiger and the priestess were pulled under the water's surface. He expected them to come up quickly but they didn't.

"We must hurry to save her. If she won't drown, the current will take her straight into the heart of the undead lands," shouted Kael'thas and intended to run towards the river but Maiev stepped in front of him. She was taller and physically stronger than him, so she managed to hold him back with ease.

Maiev shook her head. "No, Kael. We are too far away from the river. We won't reach her in time. Tyrande is a soldier. She knew the risks she took. I feel sorry for her loss but we have a greater mission to accomplish now and our time grows short. Your people are safe now. You will uphold your end of the bargain and help me hunt the demon I seek."

Kael'thas gaze fell on the river. Since the destruction of the Sunwell, his eyes were not as good as they had been before. He couldn't see as far as he used to but he was sure he saw the head of a tiger and a head with long ears sticking out of the water. Tyrande and her tiger were caught by the current and swept downriver. He couldn't do anything to save them. He could just hope they would survive and make it out the river somehow.

He turned his head as Maiev cleared her throat. He looked at her, noticing the impatience that was reflected by her eyes. "We must bring your caravan to your nearest base and then we will search for Illidan."

Kael'thas nodded. "As you wish, Lady Shadowsong."


	26. Unexpected Visits

The land was dead. The soil was black and infertile, apart from dead trees no plants could be found in this area. The stench of the undead stung in the cold air. The stench was unbearable for any living creature but Sylvanas was not alive. She had gotten used to the smell of death and decay. She was no longer aware of her own stench and she was no longer disgusted by the stench of those who followed her.

Sylvanas stood in front of the new base she had ordered to be built. It was not a huge base but it was better than nothing. The base looked different from the bases she had visited before her death. There were no tents or accommodations because nobody needed to rest. Some of her followers still hadn't gotten used to their new life where they didn't have to sleep, so they just laid down on the floor and pretended to sleep. They did that because they didn't know what they should do instead. They were used to a daily routine in which they had to lie still for a few hours every day. Old habits die hard.

Sylvanas didn't like to see them lying there around and doing nothing at all. She didn't want to forbid them to do it, she just didn't like to see it. She knew that she would have to build some sort of a house where her loyal minions could rest and pretend to sleep. But first, her workers needed to build more turrets and make the base's walls thicker.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on one of these wooden constructs on which her dark rangers stood and looked out for enemies. Her gaze rested on one of her dark rangers for a few moments before she walked over to the small hut in the middle of the base. She opened the door and stepped inside, finding Verena and Nathanos standing around the table on which a map was spread out. It was a map of Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. Like her and all dark rangers, Verena had gotten her body back. Her once blood-red dyed hair was grey and brittle, her skin was pale and she wore a dark version of her former uniform.

Nathanos' uniform hadn't changed at all. It was made out of leather and coloured in brown and green. He had lost his lower jaw when he had been forced to fight for the Scourge but he had found another. Unlike Nathanos, all of Verena's bones were covered by flesh. No splinters or pieces of bones stuck out. No bones could be seen. Her body was well preserved, unlike the body of Nathanos whose elbows and knees were not covered by flesh.

Sylvanas stepped to the table and looked at her advisors. "Have you heard anything from our scouts?"

Verena shook her head. "No, mistress. We haven't."

Sylvanas clenched her fist. "They should have returned days ago," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Unfortunately, they didn't. We have no idea where they are."

Sylvanas was not amused. "What about the shades I sent to the west?"

"They returned."

"What did they see?" Sylvanas asked impatiently.

"Lots of Ogres and bandits," said Nathanos.

"Victims our sisters could possess," added the female dark ranger.

"That's a great idea. Our sisters will be more useful when they have control over these ogres and bandits. The power of our little army will increase if we bring their leaders on our side," said Sylvanas.

"When will we set off, mistress?" asked Verena.

"In two hours. Tell every dark ranger, who is not guarding the base, and every banshee to get ready."

Verena bowed to her. "As you wish, mistress." She left the room when Sylvanas gave her permission.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Nathanos. "You will find out what happened to the scouts that travelled to the east. Don't you dare to return with empty hands, otherwise, you will end like the last ranger who dared to return with bad news."

Nathanos nodded immediately. The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a barely recognizable smile as she noticed the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of her. He was afraid of what she would do to him if he would disappoint her. His life depended on whether he would find the scouts or not. He didn't want to end like the undead human who had been near Sylvanas when she had thrown a tantrum after Arthas had managed to survive her assault. There was nothing left of the poor guy who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Go now, Nathanos. Don't you dare to return without knowing what happened to my scouts."

"I won't fail you, Lady Sylvanas," the former human replied and left the room after Sylvanas had granted him permission.

Sylvanas regarded the map for a few moments, then she left the hut too.

She walked a little and then stopped. She let her gaze wander, hundreds of different thoughts came to her mind. Memories of the past, memories of the horrible things she had been forced to do when Arthas had controlled her and also memories of the fall of Quel'Thalas. The nightmares of the past were still haunting her.

She had lost so much when Arthas had invaded Quel'Thalas. Most high elves died, her mother died, her best friend Verena and many other people who had been very important to her. Her daughter died too and still had to serve that bastard. She had no idea where Sylvera was nor did she know what Arthas did to her. He could have done unspeakable things to her. Things she didn't want to imagine.

She had sworn on revenge. She had sworn to kill that bastard with her own hands. She had had that chance weeks ago but she had failed. She had gotten too cocky and hadn't expected that Kel'Thuzad would manage to save his master. She had made the mistake to underestimate the lich and she had paid a terribleprice. Arthas had survived her assault. He was free and alive. He was somewhere out there and planning his next step. She could have killed him but she had made the mistake to toy with him and make him suffer instead of finishing him quickly.

She hadn't wanted to grant him a quick death because he had denied her the quick death she had asked him for. That had been her mistake and she hated herself for having made this foolish mistake. She had failed to kill him and now she could only hope she would meet him again one day. She wanted nothing more than ramming her sword through his upper body, just like he had done with her. She wanted to cut his ugly head off his shoulders and end his life. Then she could finally find peace.

She knew that the road to her destination was long and full of stones but she was a patient woman. She would wait as long as necessary and strike when she would get the perfect chance. She would plan everything, but until then she had other things to do. She wouldn't be able to defeat Arthas and the Scourge alone. She needed allies. Followers who would fight and die for her. The undead who had broken free with her and had pledged their loyalty to her were not enough to defeat Arthas and his forces. She needed more men and more allies but she had no idea where she would find them.

A shrill voice brought her out of her thoughts. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the spectral figure that was floating next to her. She recognized the facial features of the banshee. It was her former employee Janette. Her body had been destroyed after Arthas had torn her soul out and raised her as a banshee. She would never be able to reclaim her body like Sylvanas and Verena had done. She was forced to remain a banshee forever. At least, she was able to take over the body of any creature.

"You seem troubled, mistress," spoke Janette. Her voice was high-pitched and ghostly. Sylvanas even noticed a small amount of worry in it.

"Aren't you, sister? Only a month ago we were the Lich King's slaves. We existed only to slaughter in his name. And now we are...free."

"I don't understand, mistress. I thought you would be overjoyed," responded the banshee, confusion was reflected in her spectral eyes.

Sylvanas tilted her head, her red orbs rested on the banshee. "What joy is there in this curse? We are still undead, sister... We are still monstrosities...What are we if not slaves to this torment?"

"You're afraid Kelrian considers you as a monster, aren't you, mistress?"

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, her facial features derailed. She had had an impassive expression on her face before Janette had mentioned him. Now her beautiful face reflected nothing but anger. Sylvanas was not amused that Janette had reminded her of her biggest loss. "He has every right to consider me as a monster because I am a monster. I don't want to him to see me like this nor do I want to see him. I don't have time to reminisce. I don't have time to wallow in the past or live in it. All I want is Arthas' death and I don't have the time for any distractions. Don't you ever dare to say that name in my presence again. Is that clear?"

The scared banshee nodded.

A satisfied smirk appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "Good."

Suddenly, a strange noise reached her ear. Sylvanas turned around, looking in the direction where the noise came from. Her crimson red eyes widened as she spotted the portal outside the base that was slowly opened. Sylvanas frowned and made a gesture. The nearest banshees and dark rangers nodded at her, telling her that they would follow her that way. Sylvanas walked with them to the portal, wondering who would come out. Her dark rangers had their bows drawn and would fire at her command.

A pair of horns that belonged to the head of a demon appeared through the portal. Broad shoulders, a muscular exposed upper body and thick red wings followed quickly, so did the rest of the creature's body. It was a dreadlord. A familiar dreadlord. Varimathras stood in front of the portal and checked his surroundings quickly. His green eyes fell on the Dark Lady eventually.

"Greetings, Lady Sylvanas. There is no need for your rangers to aim their little toothpicks at me. I don't want to do you any harm. My brothers and I appreciate the role you played in overthrowing Arthas. I've come to offer you a formal invitation to join our new order," he announced. A cocky smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas was sure that he expected her to join voluntarily.

Sylvanas tilted her head. "My only interest was to see Arthas dead. I have no time for your petty politics or power-mongering."

The dreadlord turned up his nose, his eyes narrowed and an annoyed expression appeared on his face. He built himself up in front of her but that didn't impress her. He was two feet taller than her, his claws were larger than her head but that didn't bother her. She remained calm.

His voice almost sounded threatening. "Careful, milady. It would be unwise to incur our wrath. We are the future of these... Plaguelands. You can either join us and rule or be cast aside."

Sylvanas signalized the dreadlord that she was not scared of him. She lifted her left hand a little, signalizing the rangers to shoot at her command. Sylvanas' voice was monotonous and sounded very serious. "I lived as a slave long enough, dreadlord. I won't relinquish my freedom by shackling myself to you fools."

Varimathras' gaze wandered over the gathered banshees and dark rangers. His face reflected pure anger. He spat at Sylvanas' feet. His salvia was corrosive and etched a hole in the ground. "So be it. Our reply will come soon, _banshee."_

He turned around and walked back through the portal which closed behind him. Sylvanas stared at the spot where the portal had been, considering if it had been the right choice to let him go. She didn't know how powerful he was. Many of her sisters would have died but she was sure she would have been able to kill the dreadlord if she would have prevented him from going through the portal. She could have gotten rid of him already.

But now it was too late but she didn't mind that he was still alive. Varimathras wouldn't be able to stop her from getting her revenge. She would slay him too if he would dare to stand in her way. She would find him sooner or later and defeat him.

She was sure of that.

* * *

Kelrian quietly closed the door behind him as he entered the room. He let his gaze wander through the room, spotting several pieces of furniture. There was a shelf filled with books on the left side of the room, a small table and two chairs on the other side. On the opposite side of the room stood a bed and a bedside table next to it.

Kelrian walked to the bed and regarded the person who was lying on it. She looked a lot better than the last time he had visited her. Bandages were wrapped around her torso but they were clean and not soaked in blood. Her wounds had been closed, so she was no longer losing blood.

Elena was so engrossed in her book that she hadn't noticed him entering the room. She didn't even notice him as he sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. Kelrian didn't clear his throat or did he do anything to get her attention. He just sat there and regarded her, wondering when she will notice him. She noticed him eventually, her blue eyes lit up and a surprised expression could be seen on her face. The surprise was quickly replaced by happiness. Her lips formed a smile as she regarded him from head to toe.

He wore a red tunic and a grey pair of trousers, his blonde hair was combed to the left side as usual. "You are finally here, Kel," she exclaimed happily. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you earlier."

Kelrian smiled at her. "You don't have to be sorry, Elena. Everything is alright."

Elena returned his smile.

"I bought flowers for you," Kelrian said and handed her the bouquet which consisted of her favourite flowers. Elena took them and held them in front of her face, inhaling their lovely smell. "You didn't have to buy me flowers but I still appreciate them They are wonderful."

"I'm glad you like them."

"How did you know that these are my favourite flowers?"

"During the first weeks of our training as ranger apprentices we talked about our favourite flowers," Kelrian replied.

Elena's eyes widened in surprise. "You still remember that?"

Kelrian nodded. "I have an extraordinarily good memory."

"I see. Bringing me these flowers is so sweet of you. Thank you, Kel."

Kelrian smiled. "You are welcome." His gaze fell on her bandages. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than a few days ago. The druid took care of my wounds but the doctors told me to stay in bed for a few more days."

"Don't overtax yourself. Rest until you feel strong enough."

"That was my plan, Kel."

"I was worried about you. I was afraid I would lose you," Kelrian admitted and put his hand on her right upper thigh. "I don't know what I would do if I would lose you. I already lost so many people I knew in the past year. Comrades, friends, family members... Even my wife... I can't lose you too."

Elena didn't say anything in return. She gave him a sad smile and regarded him. Kelrian stared at his fingers and said nothing. He lifted his head eventually and looked at the pink-haired woman who had put the flowers in the vase on the bedside table in the meantime.

"How are you feeling, Kel?" she asked.

"Better. I think I came to terms with the fact that the Sylvanas I loved is gone. I think I'm ready to move on. I promised her to move on."

A barely visible smile appeared on Elena's lips. "That's good. It's best for you to accept the past and look forward instead of living in the past. You won't do yourself a favour if you keep thinking about the past. The best you can do is to live your life and make sure you won't fall into a depression. We have to accept how things are and move on. We won't let the past get us down. We have unbreakable wills. Always remember my words."

"Don't worry, I will never forget what you told me. You were there for me when I needed comfort and now, I will be there for you. I want to return the favour and take care of you. Whenever you need something, just tell me and I see what I can do."

"Could you come a little closer to me? A shock wave exploded not far away from me during the battle and my hearing is still worse than it used to be. I hope it gets better soon."

"I hope the same," replied the ranger-mage and got closer to her. He sat next to her right hip,his hands rested on the mattress and almost touched her right side. "Better?" he asked.

Elena nodded and gave him a small smile. "Better." She straightened up and leaned her back against the headboard of the bed. Her hands rested on her lap, a small amount of nervousness was reflected by her blue eyes. Kelrian noticed it but didn't approach her about it. He was also nervous but he had no idea why. His heart was hammering in his chest for some reason. His skin was tingling and his throat was dry. He had no idea why his body was behaving that way nor did he know how to fix it.

He could only assume that it had something to do with Elena's presence. He hadn't felt that way before he had entered the hospital room. Before he had entered the room, he had been afraid that Elena's condition had gotten worse. He had been relieved when he had found out that she was fine. He realized that he felt different when being around Elena.

Before everything had gone down the tube, his body hadn't acted so strange in her presence. Even after the fall of Quel'Thalas, he hadn't felt different when she had been around. But since she had been wounded, his body was acting differently. He had never been so nervous in her presence. Not since the battle four days ago. Something had just didn't know if it was for the better or for the worse. He had no idea how he was feeling about her.

Was she still just a friend? Or was she more than that? Did he have feelings for her? Romantic feelings? Did she mean something for him? Were the feelings he had for her similar to those he had had for Sylvanas? Was he interested in her?

Kelrian found no answers to his questions. Not yet at least. He needed more time to answer these questions for himself. Kelrian was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Elena had gotten closer to him. Only as he felt two arms around his shoulders he was brought back to the present.

Elena was hugging him, her head rested on his shoulder and her body was carefully pressed against his. She didn't want to hurt herself, so her hug was not tight. Kelrian had no idea why he was blushing. His skin tingled, he was more nervous than before and his throat was much drier than before. It took him a while to formulate a recognizable sentence which was not just a combination of stuttered words. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Elena had her eyes closed and smiled weakly as she gave him a reply. "You seemed troubled so I decided to comfort you. I hope it worked."

"Seems so," replied Kelrian and gave her a small smile.

Elena pulled away, keeping her gaze on his handsome face. She bit her bottom lip softly, thinking about something. She considered if she should do what she had in mind or if she shouldn't. She was not sure if she should take that risk or not. She could risk their friendship but she also knew she would never get a better chance. Her feelings for him were too strong. She could no longer hold back. She had to risk it. She could only hope that he would feel the same for her as she felt for him. She took a deep breath and decided to stake everything on one card.

She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes so that she wouldn't have to see his reaction. She prayed inwardlythat he would return the kiss and wouldn't pull back. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her stomach got cramped when she realized he was not kissing her back. She started to feel sad. She had risked their friendship once again and kissed him but he didn't return the kiss. She had ruined everything once again and made things awkward between them. She had the impression that destiny didn't want her to be happy.

These were her thoughts in the first few seconds but her thoughts changed quickly as something unexpected happened. Kelrian had not returned the kiss because her quick move had surprised and shocked him at the same time. His heart had skipped a beat and his mind had become blank when her lips had come in contact with his. Her lips had felt strange at first but now they no longer felt strange.

They were soft and felt good. Whenever Elena had kissed him in the past, these kisses had felt wrong. But this kiss didn't feel wrong. He couldn't explain to himself why feeling her soft lips on his no longer felt wrong. He couldn't explain what had changed. He only knew he enjoyed it for some reason.

The few seconds in which Kelrian had hesitated had felt like hours for Elena. She had been pretty sad while she had been convinced that he wouldn't return the kiss. But now that he returned the kiss, she no longer felt sad. She was happy. She was happy that he finally returned her kiss. All the other kisses they had shared in the past had always been one-sided. Except for the one they had shared during the Second War. The side effects of a love potion had influenced his actions and had made him return her kiss and do other things with her. That kiss didn't count either.

But this time, Kelrian returned her kiss voluntarily. His lips were pretty soft and tasted like moonberry. She had noticed the slight smell of alcohol in his breath when he had gotten close to her. He had drunk but not much. He still hadn't managed to stop drinking but at least his desire to consume alcohol had gotten smaller and smaller over the past weeks.

Elena's persistence was the main reason for that. She had talked to Kelrian a lot and convinced him that too much alcohol was bad for no longer consumed alcohol every day. He didn't drink much and only rarely. Elena assumed he had only drunk one glass of moonberry juice.

She didn't mind tasting the alcohol on his lips. She didn't stop kissing him but she didn't do the next step. She didn't use her tongue to lick his lips. She let her tongue inside her mouth and just kissed him, not wanting to go too far. The kiss endured as long as they were able to hold their breath. They pulled away after a few minutes, breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes.

Elena had been a little afraid that he would regret the kiss as soon as it had ended. She sighed out in relief as she realized that the kiss had not been uncomfortable for Kelrian. He was not distressed nor did he behave awkwardly. He just smiled at her, a slight blush could be seen on his cheeks as he regarded her.

"Say something," Elena whispered and grasped his left hand.

"I enjoyed the kiss."

Elena's eyes widened, her heart started to beat much faster. "You did?"

Kelrian nodded and smiled at her. "Yes. It was great." He put his hand on her left cheek, caressing it softly.

"Me too," the pink-haired woman replied. Kelrian didn't say anything in return. He just put a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at her.

He cleared his throat after a while. "I need to tell you something."

Elena raised an eyebrow and gave him a look which was a mix of concern and curiosity. "What is it?"

"I will accompany the king and Lady Shadowsong on the hunt for Illidan Stormrage. I don't know how long we will be away but I assume you won't see me for a few weeks. Maybe even months."

"I wish I could join you," said Elena.

"I could ask the king if we could wait until you feel better but I doubt that Lady Shadowsong would allow that. She is not a very patient person. She wants to catch Illidan as soon as possible," told Kelrian.

Elena gave him an understanding nod. "Too bad. Just make sure you don't get hurt. Stay safe and return to me in one piece."

Kelrian put his hand on her shoulder. "I will. You don't need to worry about me."

"What if I do?"

Kelrian smirked and kissed her cheek softly. "I can take care of myself. You will stay in bed and get better, okay?"

Elena nodded.

Kelrian pressed a soft kiss on her lips before he got up from the bed. "I need to go now. Lady Shadowsong wants to set off in less than thirty minutes. I just came here to check on you and say goodbye to you before we set off."

Kelrian didn't miss the sadness that was reflected by her eyes. Elena was not very happy that Kelrian was already leaving her after she had finally found out that he was feeling something for her. She wished he would stay in the base and visit her every day but she knew this was not possible. Kelrian was one of the best men King Kael'thas had, so it only made sense that he would take Kelrian with him.

There was nothing she could do to make him stay. She wanted him to stay but she knew he was needed. The king needed his aid and the sin'dorei needed their king. The sooner they would catch Illidan, the sooner the king could return to Silvermoon City and do everything in his power to help his people. All she could do was to pray for Kelrian's safety. She assumed that the hunt for Illidan wouldn't be a child's play.

Kelrian noticed the single tear that ran down Elena's cheek but he didn't say anything about it. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, said goodbye to her and left the room quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't let Kelrian end up with Elena. Promised. Please don't kill me.


	27. Confrontations

Sylvanas stood on a hill and watched the scene in front of her. Her dark rangers were fighting bandits which were no match for them. The dark rangers had been high elven rangers in life, meaning they had been trained well. Death and rebirth had only made them stronger. They were faster, physically much stronger and were even able to use dark magic. Their aim was more precise than ever and their punches and sword blows were deadlier than ever. They also held out much longer and had more stamina. They were stronger and deadlier than ever.

They had not killed the bandits. They had just disarmed them and tied them up. Their leader had resisted longer than his men but he had been defeated too. Velonara and Verena had teamed up and brought him down from his high horse, literally. The human with the name Blackthorn was not tied up but he had been disarmed, leaving him defenceless. He was standing near his tent far away from his men, his brown eyes rested on Sylvanas as she came closer.

Sylvanas regarded him from head to toe. He was pretty tall for a human and very muscular. His torso was exposed, only his left shoulder, his forearms and his legs were protected by armour. He wore an iron helmet and had a long dark brown beard. She could see the hatred reflected in his eyes. But there was not only hatred. He was disgusted by her kind and he didn't hide that. Her appearance made him sick.

"You may as well surrender now, cretin. You'll be my slave one way or another," said Sylvanas, soundingindifferent.

"Never," Blackthorn spat out. "I will never serve an undead Scourge whore. Go back to your master and suck his small cock, you filthy undead elven whore."

Anger was reflected by Sylvanas' face as she lifted her hand and slapped him so hard that he spat blood and two teeth out. "You can be lucky that I need your body in a good condition, otherwise, I would tear out each of your limbs and torture you in the most painful way."

"Do whatever you want, bitch. I will never surrender."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in response. A mischievous smile could be seen on her lips as she regarded the human who was still not afraid of her. She had to admit she was a little impressed.

The ogre Mug'thol, who was the ruler of the Crushridge clan, the gnoll Snarlmane and a murloc tribe leader known as Puddle Lord, Sylvanas had met days ago, had been terrified of her after she and her army had defeated their minions. They had begged for their lives but Sylvanas had not let them go. She had ordered her banshees to possess them and she would do the same with Blackthorn.

She averted her gaze and looked at the banshee next to her. Janette gave her a nod and approached the bandit lord, putting her hands on his face. Blackthorn's eyes widened, his lips parted and a painful scream escaped his lips as Janette attacked his mind. Janette grabbed his chin and brought it closer to her face, a spectral ray came out of her mouth and shot in the human's open mouth.

Janette's spectral form started to dissolve quickly until nothing was left of her. Blackthorn still stood on the same spot and was not moving. His eyes were still widened but their colour was no longer brown. They were blue. As blue as the eyes of a banshee. That could only mean one thing. Janette had successfully taken control over the bandit lord. Sylvanas regarded him curiously, giving him his first order.

The possessed human did as he was ordered. He walked over to his men and ordered them to pick up their weapons. "Lady Sylvanas is our new master. From now on we fight for her, brothers." His men didn't know what happened to him but they knew better than disobeying him. They were still loyal to him and did everything that he wanted from them. They would obey each of Sylvanas' orders.

Sylvanas smirked. "Hmm... my own band of assassins. Intriguing," she said amused.

"I will do everything you want from me, Lady Sylvanas," said Blackthorn.

"Good. There is a camp of Forest trolls in the near. Your men will attack the camp with my forces and kill every troll there. Leave their leader to me. I will deal with him personally."

"As you wish, Lady Sylvanas."

* * *

Kelrian ran the tips of his fingers over his lips as he remembered the kiss he had just shared with Elena. He remembered the warmth and softness of her lips, her lovely perfume that had smelled after lavender, her soft hand on his cheek. The kiss had been good, not as good as the kisses he had shared with Sylvanas but good enough.

He was not sure if he was regretting that he had allowed her to kiss him. He was not sure if it had been right to return her didn't have to return the kiss, but he still did it. He still had no idea why he had done that. It had felt right for him to return the kiss at that moment.

He was asking himself if he had made the right decision. He was asking himself what consequences the kiss would have. He was asking himself if he had serious feelings for Elena. She had been there for him and helped him to get through the darkest phase of his life. She had helped him without having ulterior motives. She had become very important to him. She was one of the few friends he had left and it seemed that she had become more than just a friend to him.

What was she? A very close friend? His best friend? A possible lover?

More thoughts came in his mind.

_Would it be fair to Sylvanas if he would start something with Elena? What would Sylvanas say when she would find out that he kissed her? Did the Sylvanas he had known still exist in the creature Arthas had created? Or was she gone and would never return?_

_Was he still hoping he would get the Sylvanas he had known back one day? Would his wish come true one day or would he never get what he wanted the most? Was he_ _having false hopes?_ _Should he forget about Sylvanas and move on? Should he get involved with Elena?_

He knew she loved him but he was not sure about his feelings for her. He was not sure if he had romantic feelings for her but he was sure he considered her more than just a friend.

The Sylvanas he had loved was gone. She had died so their marriagewas no longer wouldn't cheat on her if he would start something with Elena. Sylvanas had even told him to move on. She had told him she wanted him to be happy and find love again. She wanted him to live his life and enjoy it as much as the situation would allow it. She wanted him to be happy.

He was not sure if it would be right to get involved with Elena. It didn't feel wrong to him but that didn't have to mean it was right. He believed that at least. The kiss had not felt wrong but he was not sure if it had felt had gotten carried away when Elena had surprised him with her kiss. His mind had been blank and he had listened to his instincts that had told him to return the kiss. He knew he had to think about everything once he had the time.

Maiev came to him and brought him out of his thoughts. "Are you ready?"

Kelrian nodded. "I am."

Maiev turned to those who stood behind her. "Now that everyone is ready, we can finally set off. Follow me."

* * *

The smell of burned flesh and wood stung in Sylvanas' nose. Her gaze fell on the destroyed buildings around her. Varimathras' base laid in ruins and most of his forces had been slain and either been raised by her or burned so that the dreadlord couldn't raise them himself. Two dozen of Sylvanas' mercenaries, a dozen undead, four of her dark rangers and two of her banshees had fallen but the majority of her forces had survived the assault on Varimathras' base.

Her men surrounded the remains of Varimathras' forces. Two dozen ghouls and a few nerubians were left of his army which had been pretty large before Sylvanas' assault. Sylvanas stood in front of her dark rangers and gave the dreadlord a wide grin. "Seems you are losing, Varimathras. How do we do it? Do you want to do it the old-fashioned way and let our forces clash until one army wins, or shall we solve our problem in a different way?"

The nathrezim raised an eyebrow and gave Sylvanas a curious look. "What do you have in mind?"

"A duel. The winner takes over the loser's forces."

Varimathras burst into laughter and needed nearly half a minute to pull himself together. "YOU want to fight ME, banshee? Are you tired of living your undead life? I can end it for you quickly if that's what you want. Otherwise, I don't understand why you are so foolish and make me this offer."

A wicked grin could be seen on Sylvanas' lips. "You shouldn't underestimate me, Varimathras."

"Hah. You are a fool if you think you, as a filthy undead elf, can beat me, a servant of the Burning Legion. We nathrezim don't lose against mortal weaklings like you."

Amused laughter escaped her lips. "So you want to tell me no mortal can defeat a nathrezim?"

A frown appeared on the dreadlord's forehead for a short moment. "I'm serious about this."

"What about Mal'Ganis? Didn't he die at the hands of a mortal?"

Varimathras' eyes narrowed. A dangerous look was reflected by his face. "Mal'Ganis is a shame for our race. He was weak and foolish but I'm not. You will learn first-hand how strong I am."

Sylvanas signalized her forces to hold back and not interfere, no matter what would happen. "Go ahead, Varimathras. I'm waiting."

The dreadlord snarled and charged forward. He had no weapon but sharp claws which could seriously hurt her if he would manage to hit her. Her plan was to not get hit by him. She made a large leap to the side and pulled her bow from her back, drew it and knocked an arrow. The arrow flew through the air and hit the dreadlord in the left hip, making him bit his bottom lip to prevent a painful scream from escaping his lips.

The arrow was not an ordinary one. It was a poisoned arrow. The same poison she had used for Arthas. She didn't expect that it would paralyze him but she hoped it would slow him down and weaken him at least. It did. Varimathras' movement slowed down but he didn't stop attacking her.

He tried to hit her again but she dodged his attacks with ease, hitting him with two arrows in return. He wore no upper body armour, so nothing prevented the arrows from piercing his flesh. A loud cry escaped the dreadlord's lips, anger and fury appeared in his eyes. He was not amused. He was furious.

An insult left his lips but Sylvanas didn't care. She ignored every word that escaped his lips, shooting another arrow at him. The dreadlord was able to block it with his steel armguard. He avoided the next arrow too and created a shadow bolt, throwing it at Sylvanas.

The Dark Lady was almost hit by it. She had reacted fast enough and avoided it at the last moment by jumping to the side. It had flown faster than she had expected. She realized that Varimathras was stronger than she had thought but she was still convinced she had the upper hand, especially because the poison was weakening him.

She noticed that Varimathras had started to cast another spell. She reacted quickly and cast a spell which forced Varimathras to jump to the side to avoid it. He got angrier than he already was and jumped into the air, landing right in front of Sylvanas.

The undead elf predicted his attack and ducked beneath his claws, kicking him where he probably had not been touched for quite some time. Despite his armour, Varimathras had been hit pretty hard and howled out loudly. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to attack him again, ramming her sword in his stomach. Varimathras went on his knees and gave his best to not collapse in front of her. His head was on the same height as hers, his facial expression reflected nothing but pure pain.

Sylvanas grabbed him by his horns, pulled his head down and brought her knees to his face over and over again until it was nothing more than a bloody mess. She flung him to the ground with the help of dark magic and

put her heel on his throat as soon as he hit the ground. She regarded him with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Seems I've won, Varimathras. And my price is your death."

Her smile became wider as she noticed the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of dying. "Please, Sylvanas. We can talk about everything. Please spare my life, I beg you. I can be of service to you... I swear it. Please, don't kill me."

His whiny voice made Sylvanas enjoy this even more. She enjoyed seeing the beaten dreadlord begging for his life after he had mocked and insulted her. He had bragged about his power and underestimated her. He had called her a fool but in fact, he was the fool. Sylvanas had remained calm and not underestimated Varimathras. She had watched his every move and avoided his attacks. She had taught him a lesson and proved that she was much stronger than him.

"No mocking words? No insults? What's wrong Varimathras? Does your laughter stick in your throat?"

"I underestimated you. I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I didn't mean it that way. I'm so sorry. Please, spare me. I will serve you and help you to find Detheroc and Balnazzar. I will make sure they serve you too. Promised," he pleaded.

An amused smile appeared on the Dark Lady's lips. "You would sell your brethren out just to save your own skin. You act like a coward." She paused for a moment. "I'm listening. Go ahead and tell me why I should spare you."

"I know what my brothers' plans are. I know where their forces are based. Just let me serve you and I'll help you defeat them."

Sylvanas thought about his offer, giving him an answer as soon as she had made a decision. "All right, Varimathras. I'll let you prove your loyalty to me. But be warned... I'm keeping you on a short leash. If you ever dare to betray me or withhold information from me, I will not hesitate to kill you. Is that clear?"

"It is. I won't disappoint you, Milady. I promise."

"I hope that for you. Now get up and tell me everything you know about your brothers and their plans."

* * *

Maiev let her gaze wander over the buildings of the base to the faerie dragons that flew through the air. These tiny peaceful creatures were minding their own business and didn't allow themselves to get distracted by the humanoid creatures on the ground. They flew from tree to tree and even communicated with the living trees which didn't mind their presence. Some faerie dragons lived in their crowns while others lived elsewhere.

Maiev continued to regard these beautiful creatures and only averted her gaze when she heard the loud footsteps of an animal with four legs. She turned around, spotting a stag with white fur and a huge set of antlers on which a familiar night elf was sitting.

The night elf also had a set of antlers on his head but it was not as huge as the stag's. He had a long green beard that reached to his waist and purple skin. His muscular upper body was exposed and decorated with blue tattoos. His lower body was covered by clothing made out of fur and leather. His shoeslooked like bear paws, which had three sharp claws. He carried a thick wooden wand his right hand, his other held the stag's reins.

Maiev noticed the worried look on Malfurion's face. She was wondering if he already knew what had happened to his wife. She assumed that he couldn't know it but she had no idea what else might concern the mighty druid. Something must have happened, otherwise, he wouldn't have a worried expression on his face.

"Maiev. We've got to move quickly. Illidan is weaving a spell that is splitting apart the roof of the world. We must...," he stopped suddenly as he noticed the absence of a certain person. A certain person who meant a lot to him. His beloved wife was missing. He let his gaze wander, checking every corner of the base. She was not there. A frown appeared on his forehead. "Where is Tyrande?" he asked and looked back at the warden who was shifting uncomfortably.

He didn't need to see her face to know that she knew something. She knew something of great importance, he was sure of that. He wanted to know what she knew but he didn't push her and just waited until she would tell him herself what she knew. He got more worried than he already was as he heard a sad sigh escaping her lips.

"I am sorry, Shan'do," she began, stepping closer to him. She put a hand on his left upper thigh and gave him a sad look. "Tyrande has fallen... We aided a band of Alliance warriors against the undead. She fought valiantly but I saw her torn apart with my own eyes..."

Malfurion's facial features derailed, a shocked expression appeared on his face. "Torn apart?" he cried out.

Another sad sigh escaped the warden's lips. "I was unable to save her. I'm sorry, Shan'do."

"Tyrande...My heart... I should have been there," he muttered and lowered his gaze, sadness was reflected by his eyes. He was grieving for the love of his life. Maiev patted his upper thigh softly. "You can still avenge her, Shan'do. Let us attack Illidan together. _He_ is the reason we even come to this forsaken place. _He_ is the reason for your loss."

Malfurion lifted his head and stared into Maiev's green eyes, noticing determination in them. Maiev turned her head and gave someone a signal. Malfurion's gaze followed hers and landed on three persons that were coming closer. The three sin'dorei stopped next to Maiev and lowered their heads in respect.

Maiev pointed at the blood elf in the middle. "Shan'do, this is King Kael'thas Sunstrider, the ally I spoke of." She pointed at the male ranger to Kael'thas' left and then to the female ranger to his right. "These are Ranger-Lieutenant Kelrian Sunsinger and Ranger-Captain Vara Sweetblossom. They are the king's bodyguards."

"Greetings, great druid," said Kael'thas and lowered his head again. "My scouts have confirmed that this Illidan and his vile snakes are based at the ruins of Dalaran. They are using a gem-like artefact to perform some strange ritual."

"They must be using the Eye of Sargeras. But why would they strike at the roof of the world?" Maiev asked and looked at Malfurion, hoping he would have answers.

Malfurion was still deeply dismayed about the news of his wife's death. Normally, he would find out first what Illidan was planning and then do something about it. But his emotions had overwhelmed him and didn't allow him to keep a cool head. He wanted nothing more than to catch Illidan and make sure he would receive his just punishment. He wouldn't let him go unpunished after being responsible for Tyrande's death.

"It doesn't matter why he wants to do that. The naga won't live long enough to finish their spell. Illidan must be stopped once and for all. He must answer for his crimes."

"We are ready when you are, archdruid," said Kael'thas. Malfurion looked at Maiev. "Mobilize your forces, we will attack as soon as we can."

Maiev nodded. "As you wish, Shan'do."

* * *

Nothing but ruins were left of the once glorious city of mages. Dalaran had been beautiful once. Thousands of inhabitants had lived there and thousands of creatures had travelled to the city every day. It had been known for its powerful mages that had been trained there from a young age. Most of the strongest mages of Azeroth had often come to the city to train or learn new spells. Dalaran had always been a meeting point for mages who wanted to share their knowledge with others or just wanted to train and become stronger.

Most of the buildings, that had been made out of marble, were heavily damaged or had been destroyed. There were a few which were still in good condition, while only the outlines of some other buildings existed. Most buildings were no longer habitable. The city was nothing more than a mere shadow of its former self.

Arthas Menethil and his undead army had stormed it to get the Book of Medivh. He had succeeded and slaughtered everyone who hadn't managed to escape. Even Archmage Antonidas, the leader of the Council of the Six, hadn't been able to survive the assault. He had given his best but he hadn't been strong enough to defeat Arthas. At least, the death knight hadn't raised him. In the end, the city had been left in ruins by the eredar Archimonde who had destroyed most of it in mere seconds with a powerful spell.

There were areas occupied by the Scourge but there were also areas occupied by the naga. Velsana had told Kelrian that these serpents had once been night elves who had changed when their traitor queen Azshara had made a pact with an old god. These creatures had no similarities to the night elves. They might be as tall as them but their entire bodies were covered by scales. The males had huge jaws and sharp teeth,their heads looked like the heads of sea monsters while the heads of the females looked more humanoid. At least their faces.

The females were mostly spellcasters or archers while the males carried tridents, spears or other melee weapons in their hands. They were more suited for close combat while the females prefer to stay far away from their enemies and bombard them with arrows and spells. They used chain lightning, frost spells and also water spells. The naga were pretty deadly, so were the undead.

Six night elves, three blood elves and two humans had already fallen. But they didn't die in vain. Dozens of undead and naga had been killed since Malfurion, Maiev, Kael'thas and their men had entered the remains of the once glorious city.

They had gotten far in the past hours. If it was up to them, they would clear the entire city starting with the sewers. But they wouldn't have enough time to do that. It was only a matter of time until the spell would be finished. They had to intervene and stop the naga before it would be too late.

They eventually reached a huge square where dozens of naga were gathered. Spellcasters, melees and brutes, which were at least thirty feet tall, were already awaiting them. Even flying beasts, which looked like twisted versions of manta rays, were flying in swarms through the air. The chimaeras under Malfurion's command took care of them while the ground forces focused the naga spellcasters, known as sirens, first.

The male naga, who were called myrmidons, tried to defend their sisters and buy them as much time as possible but they fell quickly. Malfurion had lots of archers and spellcasters by his side who dealt with the naga from afar. A few druids transformed into bears and joined their comrades.

Malfurion had summoned dozens of treants who mostly served as cannon fodder and protected the living creatures by blocking spells for them. It hurt Malfurion to see the walking trees die but it was okay for them. The treants had no problem giving their lives to protect any of Malfurion's comrades.

Malfurion summoned more treants and even rooted naga with thorn tendrils. He let moonfire rain down on the naga, healed wounded soldiers and even transformed into a bear whenever a group of enemies came too close to him. A precise hit with one of his massive paws was enough to end the life of one of these serpents. His sharp teeth were even worse. They pierced the flaky skin of the naga with ease.

Maiev used her umbra crescent to behead the naga or cut off their arms. Even though she wore thick armour, she was very fast and avoided most spells and attacks. She had been hit a few times but her armour had protected her. It was enchanted and the priestesses of Elune had put several blessings on her to protect her from their former race members.

Kael'thas and Kelrian used arcane and frost techniques, knowing that they were more effective against the Naga than their fire techniques. They froze the hands of the sirens and sea witches, making them unable to cast spells that way. They also cast shock waves to knock myrmidons away and let ice splinters rain down on groups of naga. They had to consume more arcane power stored in objects than they had expected but they managed to kill lots of these vile creatures.

More and more naga died and the group came closer and closer to the area where four tall sirens were feeding their power to a huge object in which several green glowing runes were engraved in it. A fel green visible aura was radiated by it. Malfurion identified it as a cursed object that did no good. The Eye of Sargeras.

Kelrian could sense the immense amount of energy stored in the gem-like object. The energy would sustain him for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two. He wished he could have it but he knew the energy wouldn't do him any good. He expected the corrupted energy to cause bad side effects which might last forever. The risk was too high.

Malfurion's men dispatched the last defending naga, so only the four spellcasters around the Eye of Sargeras were left. They didn't stop casting their spell even though the night elves and the members of the Alliance resistance were coming closer. Malfurion raised his hand suddenly and signalized the others to stop. They obeyed him and looked at him, wondering why he had given the order.

A loud and angry scream and the quick and heavy beats of massive wings could be heard. The ground trembled as a powerful creature landed not far away from the mysterious object. The creature was seven feet and two inches tall, its upper body was pretty muscular and its purple skin was covered by green glowing tattoos. Massive wings came out of the creature's back and curved horns came out of its forehead.

The creature wore a blindfold but its green glowing eyes shone through long hair was black and tied together on top of its head. The creature had hooves instead of feet and carried a pair of fel green warglaives. The Twin Blades of Azzinoth.

The creature was no other than Illidan Stormrage. The former night elf, who had become a demon when he had consumed the powers of the Skull of Gul'dan, regarded the newcomers angrily. He might be blind but due to his spectral vision, he was still able to _see_ everyone.

"What are you doing here, _brother_ ," Illidan hissed and came a bit closer.

"We are here to stop you, Illidan," responded Malfurion. His face reflected determination.

"Stop me? From what? You have no idea what I am doing."

"You are tearing the roof of the world apart. I can't allow that."

"I'm doing this for the greater good, brother."

Malfurion's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that and I don't care about your selfish reasons. I don't want to hear any explanation from you, Illidan. You do nothing but telling lies to us to buy time for your wicked servants. It's time to put an end to this, brother."

Illidan gritted his teeth. "So be it, brother. Come face me if you are brave enough."

"Destroy the Eye while I keep him busy," shouted the druid.

An angry scream escaped the demon's lips as he charged forward but he didn't get very far. Thick tendrils came out of the ground and were wrapped around Illidan's body, keeping him in place. The demon struggled hard but he didn't manage to get free. The more tendrils he cut, the more came out of the ground. But these Tendrils were not only holding him in place. They were also stealing portions of his power, making him weaker over time.

"What is this foul magic?" Illidan roared out.

Malfurion chuckled. "Foul magic? That's the nature's wrath, Illidan. Nature is pretty angry at you for all the crimes you've committed. And today you will pay for everything."

"You have no idea about the consequences of your actions, brother. I'm doing this for the safety of Azeroth."

"Stop lying to me, Illidan. How can you guarantee the safety of Azeroth if you blow up a part of it? I'm sick of listening to your lies," Malfurion replied and cast a spell. One of the tendrils that were wrapped around Illidan's left arm grew and became longer. It was wrapped around the demon's mouth, gagging him. Illidan was unable to speak or move. He was defenceless.

Malfurion's gaze rested on his traitorous brother for a few moments before it shifted to his allies. Maiev, Kael'thas and Kelrian had reached the Eye of Sargeras and were currently fighting the naga that had stopped working on the spell to defend themselves. Two of the four naga had already been killed.

The hands of the third were frozen by Kelrian, she was hit in the chest by an arcane blast cast by Kael'thas and at last she was beheaded by Maiev who had shown little mercy to these vile snakes since they had arrived in Dalaran. Night elves, blood elves and humans kept the last naga busy while Kelrian and Kael'thas combined their power to destroy it. It took some time for them but eventually, the gem started to crack.

Waves of corrupted energies were set free as it exploded. Kelrian and Kael'thas had started running when the first crack had appeared but they were still unable to bring themselves out of the explosion range. A wave of corrupted energy hit them and threw them away. They landed hard on the ground but they were still conscious. Velsana and Vissia helped them up and two healers examined them quickly, finding out that they were fine.

Malfurion's gaze fell back on his brother, noticing that he had managed to get rid of his gag somehow. But he didn't say anything. He just stared at the spot where the gem-like object had been, disbelief was reflected by his face.

"It is over, brother. Your vile schemes end here."

Illidan didn't say anything in response. He just stared at the remains of the Eye of Sargeras.

Maiev took the floor. "Illidan Stormrage, for recklessly endangering countless lives and threatening the very balance of the world, I hereby sentence you to death."

Malfurion gave her an agreeing nod. "Too much blood has been spilled on your account, Illidan. Even now I can feel the lands of Northrend reeling from the spell you cast. Imprisonment will not be enough this time."

A satisfied smile appeared on Maiev's lips, anticipation was reflected by her face. She had waited so long for this moment. Ten thousand years. "I will execute him myself," she said and walked towards him.

Illidan gritted his teeth. "Fools," he hissed. "I can't believe that you are so blind. You have no idea what I could have accomplished if you wouldn't have destroyed The Eye. The spell we channelled was meant to strike at the undead. Our common enemy. My mission was to destroy the Lich King's stronghold of Icecrown. As I said, I was doing this for the greater good."

Malfurion was still not listening to his brother. The grief and the anger he felt, caused by the loss of Tyrande, made him unable to think clearly like a reasonable, intelligent living being. "At no heed to the cost?" the druid shouted angrily. "Because of you, Tyrande is dead."

Illidan's facial features derailed. The anger vanished and was replaced by disbelief and sadness. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Like his brother, he was dismayed by the bad news.

Kael'thas cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Your pardon, Lord Stormrage, but the priestess may still be alive. She was swept downriver, but it's premature to simply assume that..."

"Silence, Kael," shouted Maiev angrily. Anger and fury were reflected by her eyes and her facial expression.

Malfurion turned to the warden, a mix of confusion and anger was reflected by his face. "You told me she was torn apart... You lied to me."

Maiev's voice sounded less angry and much softer now. She was hoping she could calm down the angry archdruid that way. "The Betrayer's capture was our primary concern, Shan'do. I needed your help. I knew you would go to her and we would lose our chance to capture Illidan. I..."

Malfurion interrupted her, disappointment and anger were reflected by his face. "Who is the betrayer now, warden?" He paused and allowed her to reflect on her actions. "I must go to her immediately."

Illidan looked at his brother. It was clearly visible that he wanted to apologize to him. "Believe me, brother. Despite all our differences, you know that I would never lead Tyrande to harm. Let me help you. My naga can scour the river for us. Let me do this, at least," he pleaded.

Malfurion closed his eyes as he thought about everything. Minutes had passed as he opened them again and looked back at his brother who regarded him curiously. He let his gaze wander, looking at Kael'thas and Kelrian who were also looking at him. It seemed that they were not on Maiev's side. Malfurion looked at Velsana, Vissia and all the other night elves who followed him. Some of them mistrusted Maiev while some still mistrusted Illidan. Velsana was one of those who didn't trust either of them.

Malfurion's gaze rested on his people for a few moments before he looked back at the man, he had known for over ten thousand years. "Very well, Illidan. I advise you not to disappoint me again. I still don't trust you, so do most of those who follow me. Don't do anything stupid."

Maiev was the only one whose facial expression told Malfurion that she couldn't understand his decision. "What?" Irritation and anger were reflected by her voice. "After all he has done, you would trust this traitor to..."

The tendrils around Illidan were pulled back in the earth, meaning he was free again. Instead of him, Maiev was rooted in place and unable to get free. The grip of the tendrils around her body was too strong.

"Silence. I will deal with you later." His gaze fell on Illidan. "Let's go, brother."

Exadius regarded the scene from afar, a grim look could be seen on his face. His gaze rested on the night elves as long as they were in Dalaran. When they left the ruins, he let an object appear out of nowhere. It was a transparent glass globe which was taller than his head. He murmured a few phrases in eredun and the glass globe started to glow, the glowing faded and the image of Alyssa Felspeaker was projected by it.

"What is it?" she asked. "Did Illidan succeed?"

"No. He didn't."

"That's unfortunate," replied the former night elf, disappointment was reflected by her voice.

"What shall we do now, mistress?"

"Let me think."

"Shall I kill him? Punish him for his failure? Shall I..."

"I said let me think," Alyssa shouted angrily.

Exadius muttered an apologize, lowering his head to show his mistress how sorry he was.

"I will inform Lord Kil'jaeden first and ask him what he wants to do with the betrayer. I will inform you as soon as I received new orders. Until then, follow and observe them. Don't forget about your mission, Exadius. I want her dead."

"Don't worry, mistress. I won't fail you. I'm not as stupid as Varimathras and Mal'Ganis who underestimated their enemies."

"I hope that for you, my dear. Now go and fulfil your mission."

The reflection of Alyssa disappeared and the glass globe became transparent again. Exadius let it disappear and stretched out his wings, rising in the air. His eyes found the night elves who had left Dalaran in search of the High Priestess of Elune. He followed them at a certain distance because he did not want them to notice him. As expected, no one noticed him. They brought him to closer and closer to his target. Soon he will find the creature his mistress had ordered him to kill.

Tyrande Whisperwind.


	28. Exadius

They walked through the cleared streets of Dalaran, looking out for undead creatures that may come from the areas that were still not cleared. Fortunately, they didn't spot any foes on their way to the meeting point.

If Kelrian had to be honest, he would rather fight against the undead instead of meeting the person who was awaiting them. He didn't like the person they had to meet. He was a very unfriendly male human who gave no credit to Kelrian's kind for their successes in fighting the Scourge. He was always nagging about unimportant things and always found a way to embarrass or insult King Kael'thas or the sin'dorei. No sin'dorei liked him but they had no other choice than serving him because they weren't able to handle the Scourge alone.

The sin'dorei and their human companions came to the meeting point where the said man was already waiting for them. His armour and the armour of his horse was golden and silvery, he carried a big shield and a large double-bladed axe in his hand. He wore a helmet, which was decorated by golden wings that came out of the sides, but his face was still visible. He was at the age of forty, his skin was slightly creased, he had a brown, bushy walrus moustache and brown piercing eyes.

The man regarded the sin'dorei with narrowed eyes, a disapproving look could be seen on his face. He waited until the sin'dorei were in his hearing range and then scolded them. "You are late, King Kael'thas. I thought you elves prided yourselves on punctuality."

Kael'thas remained calm and looked at the human, wondering what was wrong with him this time. "It could not be helped, Lord Garithos. We ran into a group of night elves from across the sea and..."

Grand Marshal Othmar Garithos didn't intend to let the king of the blood elves justify himself. He interrupted him, his voice was unfriendly, loud and strict. "I am not interested in your fanciful excuses."

He turned his head as he heard a quiet snort, looking at the elf who had made that sound. "Is there anything you want to say, Lieutenant Sunsinger?"

"Yes, Milord. You could allow our king to explain what happened and tell you who or what held us up."

Garithos' eyes narrowed. "I think I've made myself perfectly clear. I don't want to hear your lame excuses."

"But..."

"You elves are here to serve the Alliance, do I remember that correctly? You are serving me and you will obey my commands to the letter. When I say that I don't want to hear your excuses, then I don't want to hear them. Is that clear?"

Kelrian muttered something unintelligible. "IS THAT CLEAR, ELF?" Garithos roared aggressively. His face was as red as a tomato, thick veins could be seen on his neck and his pulse was beating rapidly. He was very angry that someone was contradicting him. His narrowed eyes rested on the ranger-mage who looked at his king, receiving a small nod from him.

Kelrian looked back at the furious human. He didn't want to apologize to him but he did it nevertheless, knowing that things wouldn't end well for him if he would contradict the grand marshal any longer. He muttered an apology and lowered his head in respect.

Garithos' gaze rested on him for a few moments before it fell back on the king. "The undead have begun a new offensive to retake Dalaran. Their primary strike force marched south through Silverpine, but we managed to halt its advance at the base of the mountains," he explained.

"My men are ready to fight, milord. When shall we leave for the front?" Kael'thas asked curiously. He was convinced the Grand Marshal would take him and his men with him but it turned he was wrong about that. " _We_ will be leaving immediately. But _your people..._ will be staying here. Our scouts report that a second strike force may be heading this way from the east. I need you to repair the outlying observatories so that we can monitor that region."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow, his facial expression a combination of confusion and irritation. "But milord, we are warriors, not..."

The arrogant human interrupted him once again. "You have your orders, King Kael'thas. I trust your _elven ears_ heard them clearly enough." He looked at his men, noticing that they were ready to set off. "Move out!" he shouted and waited a few moments before he followed his men who were rushing away.

Kelrian waited until he was out of hearing range, a quiet insult escaped his lips. "Insolent son of a..." He didn't finish it even though he knew that Garithos and his men couldn't hear him.

He looked at his king who didn't seem to be happy about the way Garithos treated him and his people. He treated them as they were lesser creatures who were only useful for doing the dirty work he didn't want to do. Kelrian had the impressions that the grand marshal considered them as his personal slaves.

Kael'thas Sunstrider was a king but Garithos treated him like one of his minions. He didn't care about his title and about the family he came from. He didn't consider him as an equal person. That made Kelrian pretty angry but there was nothing he could do about it. He feared Garithos would end their alliance if they would piss him off. The sin'dorei needed allies more than ever in these dark times, so they couldn't allow themselves to make him angry. They had to deal with his intolerance and remain as friendly asthe situation allowed. They would never be able to defeat the Scourge alone, so they had to do their best to get along with that racist.

Kael'thas put his hand on Kelrian's shoulder, giving him a comforting smile. "It's okay."

"No, it's not."

The king chuckled. "You may be right about that but there is nothing we can do about him. We have to get along with him. We need his aid to deal with the undead. Many of us will die if we have to fight the undead alone. We already lost ninety percent of our people, so we can't allow more to die."

Kelrian sighed. "I wish there was another way. I wish we wouldn't have to work for that bastard."

"I wish the same thing, but we cannot win against the undead without his help. We need his men, otherwise, the undead will overrun us sooner or later. I know it's not the optimal solution but we have no other choice. We have to bite the bullet for the greater good."

Kelrian nodded and remained silent. Kael'thas took a deep breath and turned to his men. "You heard the Grand Marshal. Let's get this over with."

* * *

More and more undead were coming. Tyrande had no idea where she was and how the undead knew she was here. She was on a small piece of land that was surrounded by the raging river Arevass. There was no way to cross the river and even if she would manage do that, there was no way she could climb the steep and tall mountains that surrounded her. She was trapped on the piece of land and nearly a dozen undead flying beasts were coming closer and closer.

Apart from her loyal tiger, she was alone. But her tiger couldn't help her at all. All it did was to move around to prevent the gargoyles from grabbing Tyrande with their claws. The tiger lady was pretty fast and agile for her age. She was also wounded but that didn't hinder her in the slightest.

Tyrande remained careful with her arrows because she had only seven left. They wouldn't be enough to kill all undead creatures but Elune was still with her and would protect her. She was no mage, so she couldn't conjure more arrows. There were no trees or pieces of wood in her near, so she couldn't craft new arrows. She had to hope that she would be able to kill the remaining creatures with Elune's help.

Each arrow was a hit and ended the life of an undead flying creature. Tyrande tried to hit the creatures with moonfire, as soon as her quiver was empty. The creatures died and Tyrande already expected more to come but no creatures came. An hour passed in which no creatures approached her. An hour in which she could do nothing but relax and hope that her dear Malfurion would save her soon. She was even fine with Maiev or any other night elf. She just wanted to get away from the piece of land before more undead would come for her.

Another hour went by in which nothing happened. After a while, she spotted a familiar person coming closer. She noticed a tall figure on a huge turtle that was carried by the river. The closer the person got, the better she recognized them. Her eyes lightened up, her heart started to beat faster as she recognized her husband. Her dear Malfurion was coming to save her. A happy smile appeared on the lips of the priestess who was raising her arm in the air and waving at the druid.

The turtle was carried to the piece of land and managed to get on it. Malfurion had hardly gotten on the piece of land when Tyrande threw herself around his neck. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheeks. "I feared I would never see you again, my love. I thought more undead would come to kill me. I feared the worst but I never lost hope. I knew that Elune would protect me and wouldn't let me die. I knew she would guide you to me."

Malfurion wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Tyrande put her head on his chest, closed her eyes and started to relax. The druid ran his fingers through her hair and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. Tyrande pulled away after nearly a minute and stared into her husband's eyes. Malfurion returned her gaze and caressed her cheek, smiling at her. The high priestess kissed him softly. "We should go before more of these disgusting creatures come."

Malfurion parted his lips and was about to say something as a loud voice shouted something. It was a familiar voice that shouted the priestess' name. Tyrande turned her head, spotting a huge naga brute that was swimming through the river and carrying Illidan and several over naga on its back.

A frown appeared on Tyrande's forehead, her eyes were widened in surprise. She turned her head, giving her husband a questioning look. "What is he doing here?"

"I have no idea, my love. But I doubt his intentions are good."

"Don't you dare to set a foot on the piece of land, Illidan. I'll kill you if you do so. Stay away from us."

Confusion was reflected by the demon hunter's face. He was wondering why his brother was there. He had talked to him a few days ago and convinced him to keep the undead busy while he would rescue Tyrande. There was no way how Malfurion could have arrived there earlier than him and he didn't remember having seen any turtles near the area where he had said goodbye to his brother and promised him to return Tyrande alive.

Something was wrong, Illidan was sure of that. He had a bad feeling about this but he had no idea why. His sixth sense told him to stay careful.

"I'm not here to do you any harm, Tyrande. You must believe me. I've come to save you."

Tyrande raised an eyebrow. "To save me? Well, Malfurion also came. If you wanted to save me too, why didn't you join Malfurion? I don't trust you Illidan. You're up to something. Stay away from me."

"I promise you that I don't want to hurt you. I told Malfurion that I would rescue you while he would hold up the undead. But he is here now...That's impossible. He headed to the north when I began to follow the course of the river. There's no way he was faster than me. Something is wrong, Tyrande. You have to believe me. You know me, I would never lie to you or harm you."

"I have known you once, Illidan. The Illidan I remember would have never done such horrible things as you did. You have changed. You have become a completely different person. I no longer know what I can believe and what I cannot. I can no longer trust you." She looked at her husband again, searching for his help. She was confused and overtaxed by the situation. She didn't trust Illidan but she trusted her husband. Her husband would know if Illidan was speaking the truth or if he was lying.

Malfurion's eyes were narrowed as he gave his brother a cold look. "He is lying, Tyrande. He has come to kill you. The powers of the Skull of Gul'dan and the powers he absorbed when he slew Tichondrius drove him into madness. His mind cannot bear the power he has absorbed. Don't trust him. He is still working for the Burning Legion."

Illidan tilted his head, his eyes narrowed and a frown appeared on his forehead. "How do you know about my encounter with Tichondrius? How do you know that I killed him and absorbed his power? I never told you about this."

Malfurion hesitated for a moment. "The wisps told me. They saw everything."

Illidan shook his head slowly. "The forest where I found the skull was corrupted. There were no wisps that haven't lost their sanity and weren't corrupted. There were no uncorrupted wisps around who could have witnessed the battle and told you about it. That's a lie. So tell me, brother, how do you know and why are you lying?"

Malfurion swallowed. "Well..." His gaze fell on Tyrande whose eyes reflected confusion. She was wondering what was going on. She trusted her husband, she believed he was always speaking the truth but now it seemed he wasn't. He seemed to know something. Something he didn't want to tell them.

Illidan looked at Tyrande. "I know I did horrible things in the past but I would never try to kill you Tyrande. I have always loved you and I still do. I would never kill you, not even if my new masters would demand it. I met up with Malfurion days ago and we agreed that I rescue you while he fights the undead. There is no way that your Malfurion, your husband and my brother, was faster than me. I have no idea who this is but I know he is not Malfurion. He is a deceiver. A swindler. He is not your beloved Malfurion. You have to trust me on this."

Tyrande was still overtaxed with the situation. The abundance of information confused didn't know what was right and what was wrong. Both brothers had told her their versions. Normally, she would trust Malfurion's words more than Illidan's but what Illidan had said about Tichondrius didn't sound wrong to her.

Also, Malfurion was never at a lack of words nor did he say things which weren't right. Tyrande had encountered lots of powerful demons in the past ten thousand years to know that they were masters of manipulation. It was not unlikely that a demon pretended to be her husband. But it was not unlikely either that Illidan was planning something bad and tricking them.

There was only one way for her to find out. As far as she knew, demons were only able to copy the appearances of others but not their memories. She had to ask him something only her Malfurion could know. She turned to Malfurion and looked at him, noticing the insecure look in his eyes. "If you really are the love of my life then you must know where we spent our honeymoon."

Malfurion bit his bottom lip as he stared at her in silence. It was clearly visible that he thought about it intensively. A frown appeared on Tyrande's face. She had expected him to answer that question immediately. Although they have been married for thousands of years, they still haven't forgotten where they kissed for the first time, when they had gotten married, when they had made love for the first time and where they had spent their honeymoon. Her Malfurion knew it for sure but this one didn't. She was convinced that the creature in front of her was not her Malfurion. It was a swindler.

Tyrande made a step back and pulled her sword from her belt, executing a fast swing. The tip of her blade brushed over his left hip, leaving a long cut. As expected, green blood was flowing out. The creature in front of her was a demon.

The swindler's eyes started to glow fel greenish, his facial features distorted. The voice that came out of his mouth was deep and unpleasant to hear. "Arrggh. My subjects were right, you are smarter than most mortal creatures. I made a mistake and blew my cover but that won't change anything. My plan was to kill only you, priestess, but now I have to kill this useless demon too. My mistress won't like this but I have no other choice."

The swindler's body distorted and changed quickly. The more time passed, the less he looked like Malfurion until his shape had completely changed. The demon had just revealed its true form.

It was a male demon who was almost ten feet tall and pretty muscular. Huge horns came out of his head, he had two massive wings, hooves instead of feet and huge claws with sharp and long fingernails. His skin was almost as pale as the skin of a corpse or an undead creature. He wore golden and black armour, on all his eight fingers were golden and black rings. His thick, bent and pointed horns were decorated by rings in the same colours.

The demon looked down on Tyrande and Illidan, a mischievous grin appeared on his lips. "High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. It's an honour to meet you. I've heard so much about you." The demon's gaze fell on Illidan. "Illidan Stormrage, the master of friendzone and betrayal. Lord Kil'jaeden is not pleased about your failure. It was your task to destroy the Lich King but you failed. You know that your failure has consequences, right?"

Illidan looked at the demon, his teeth were gritted. He could clearly see the demon due to his spectral sight. He could feel his power. He was not as strong as Kil'jaeden but much stronger than any other demon he had ever met. He was much taller and much more muscular than Tichondrius. He was not a common nathrezim, Illidan was sure of that.

"Who are you?" Tyrande asked.

"My name is Exadius," the demon replied politely.

Tyrande frowned. She was out of the demon's reach and had taken a defensive posture, holding her sword in her right hand. She eyed the nathrezim closely, wondering why he hadn't attacked her already. "I think I heard that name before."

"I assisted Lord Archimonde and Lord Kil'jaeden during the first invasion. It was me who seduced your queen and made her work for the Burning Legion. I was the one who corrupted the mighty Queen Azshara," Exadius replied, grinning widely.

Tyrande's eyes narrowed and she began to focus her power. "In that case, I will execute you myself for the crimes you committed against my people."

"Tyrande he's...," Illidan started but he was interrupted by the Nathrezim.

"You are overestimating yourself, High Priestess. Not only that, but you are also underestimating me. Your brother-in-law noticed how powerful I am. He knows I'm not as weak as the demon he fought so far. Nathrezim like Mal'Ganis or Tichondrius are nothing compared to me."

Tyrande didn't get impressed by his words and continued to channel her power and the power Elune had granted her, wondering how much longer he would speak. She had to hold him in a conversation to buy as much time as possible. The more time she would get, the stronger her spell would become. Her gaze fell on Illidan who seemed to be worried but also ready to fight. He held his twin blades in front of his body, ready to block any attack that would come. His naga were right behind him.

"I slew many demons who claimed to be the strongest I ever encountered. They had many things in common. They were arrogant and thought they were much stronger than me. I proved them wrong when I slew them. And your case won't be any different. I give you one last chance, Exadius. Surrender and I'll grant you a swift death."

Exadius chuckled amused. "Surrender? Me? That's not an option. But I give you the opportunity to surrender. I will spare you and your useless brother-in-law if you do so."

Tyrande's eyes narrowed, her lips were pressed together and she was speaking through gritted teeth. "I will become the Legion's slave if I do so, right?"

Exadius tilted his head. " _Slave_ is a hard word. I prefer another word. A more fitting word. What about _champion?_ Your brother-in-law agreed to serve us but he failed us. Take his place and I will spare both of you."

Tyrande shook her head. "I will never join the Burning Legion. Not in a million years."

Exadius' yellow-golden eyes narrowed. "A fatal mistake. That was a very unwise decision you made, High Priestess."

"We will see if my decision was unwise."

"Alright then. It seems both of you will die today," Exadius responded and gave the priestess a mischievous grin.

"Elune will protect me and give me the strength to defeat you."

Soft laughter escaped the demon's lips. "Your false goddess cannot save you from me."

Tyrande was losing her temper. "False goddess?" she shouted. "How dare you insult the mighty Elune?" Her narrowed eyes reflected anger, she was gritting her teeth and an upset look could be seen on her face.

Exadius was amused and didn't seem to be worried. It seemed he didn't consider her as a threat. "Come show me what you got, priestess. Show me what your useless goddess can do."

"Tyrande, don't do it," Illidan shouted but it was already too late. Tyrande used the gathered power and created the largest moonfire he had ever seen. Illidan was able to see the bright source of energy due to his spectral vision. He knew that Tyrande had put a lot of her power and Elune's power in that spell. He knew he should get away quickly.

He made a large leap on the nearest rock. Normally, he would have jumped to Tyrande and bring her to safety first but he knew that Elune would protect her, so didn't have to be worried about her. Also, he would have never made it out of the explosion range in time. The moonfire landed near the demon and exploded, causing a massive shockwave.

Water splashed through the air, mountain pieces and pieces of soil were thrown through the air and dust was whirled up. The shockwave was so strong that even Illidan got hit and thrown away. He landed in the river, and only with great difficulty, he managed to reach the piece of land, or what was left of it. He turned his head, checking his surroundings for powerful auras. He didn't sense the auras of his naga, so he assumed they didn't survive the explosion. He sensed the aura of Tyrande, but also that of Exadius. He not only sensed their auras, but he also saw them.

They were standing not far away from each other, the mountains that had previously surrounded them had been blown up. Lots of lumps of rocks were scattered all over the uneven ground on the other side of the river. The river was much wider than before. It was still flowing but not as fast as it had been before.

Illidan jumped over the river and ran towards the woman he loved and the demon who wanted to kill her. Exadius' gaze wandered, he checked his surroundings closely before he looked at the high priestess who was out of breath and totally exhausted. Her eyes were widened and disbelief was reflected by her beautiful face. She had been convinced that the gigantic beam of energy would tear the dreadlord apart but it hadn't.

He was still alive and in one piece, his armour was slightly damaged. His right bracer was destroyed and some cracks could be seen in his left bracer, shoulder and upper arm protector. The rest of his armour was undamaged.

"As I said, Elune is a false goddess," he taunted, a triumphing grin could be seen on his lips.

"There is no way you survived my spell," the night elf hissed through gritted teeth.

Exadius chuckled. "But I did. What do you do now little night elf? Seems your goddess is not strong enough to take me down. I was able to absorb most of your spell. The energy that remained exploded and barely managed to damage my armour."

Tyrande stared at the nathrezim with gritted teeth, holding her sword in her left hand. She didn't say anything nor did Illidan who rushed towards the demon, intending to attack him from behind. But the dreadlord saw it coming and turned around, slapping the demon hunter away with the back of his hand. Illidan was flung away, collided with the nearest rock, rebounded and fell to the ground.

A loud groan escaped his lips as he got up slowly. He picked his twin blades up and ran towards the demon once again. This time, Exadius kicked him away but Illidan got up and charged at him again. Exadius executed a swift punch but the half-demon managed to avoid it at the last moment. He managed to land one hit with each of his blades. One blade hit the demon's left hip but it rebounded off the armour which remained undamaged. The other grazed his right forearm, leaving a long and medium-deep cut. Green blood flowed out of the wound but that didn't seem to bother the dreadlord.

He just tilted his head and gave the demon hunter an amused look. "Is that all you have got, Illidan? You received the master's gift, absorbed the power of the Skull of Gul'dan and stole Tichondrius' power. But you are still not able to seriously harm me? I expected more of you."

Illidan snarled and made a few steps backwards, getting out of the dreadlord's range. He didn't say anything and just watched his opponent carefully. Tyrande was too exhausted to do anything. She had spent the last remains of her mana and she had no arrows left, meaning she could only try to hurt the demon with her sword. But she was too exhausted to do that and her body was hurting.

Her gaze fell on Illidan, noticing that his distance to Exadius had become larger. He was standing there and looked as if he was concentrating his power for something. She was wondering what he was planning to do. Not much time had passed as the green colour of his tattoos became much brighter but the rest of his body got darker. His fel green tattoos contrasted with his pitch-black form.

His face reflected pure anger and hatred. Hatred for the demon who wanted to kill the woman he loved from the first day he had met her. He would do anything to protect Tyrande, he would even give his life if necessary. He would sacrifice himself to protect Tyrande. He would never forgive himself if he wouldn't manage to protect her.

He had to give everything but he was not sure if that would be enough. His opponent was much stronger than him, he was aware of that. He knew it was very unlikely that he could beat him but he had to try it nevertheless. Otherwise, Tyrande will die. He couldn't allow that. He had promised his brother to bring her back alive and he intended to keep that promise.

"If you want to kill Tyrande, you have to kill me first, demon."

Exadius turned to him, the corners of his lips formed a grin. "Very well, Illidan. There's nothing I'd rather do than killing you in front of your crush." He began to walk towards Illidan, not intending to increase his walking speed. Illidan rose in the air, regarded the nathrezim for a few moments before he pounced on him. The demon blocked his attacks with his bracer and then jabbed him hard with his elbow, causing Illidan to be thrown away.

The demon hunter managed to slow down his fall and catch himself. He attacked the nathrezim again, leaving a deep cut on his cheek. He feinted an attack from the left but then appeared from the right and left a cut in his neck. The cut was not very deep but the dreadlord seemed to be pissed nonetheless. He had not expected that the demon hunter would be able to use instant teleportation. As a former mage, instant teleportation was one of the few spells, Illidan was still able to use. Like all other mages, it had cost him a not so little portion of his power.

Nevertheless, Illidan was far away from getting exhausted. For him, the battle had just started. He rose in the air again, charging towards the red glowing shape he was seeing. Exadius dodged his attack with little effort and the next one too. Thin, fel green laser beams came out of Illidan's eyes but the dreadlord managed to avoid getting hit by them. He jumped to the side and made another jump as the beams followed him.

He made another jump, landing behind Illidan. He didn't hesitate to grab the demon hunter and throw him onto the ground with all of his strength. A loud, painful cry escaped Illidan's lips as he landed on the hard ground. Waves of pain rushed through his body, stunning him. The pain was almost unbearable. At least, the pain got weaker over time but it didn't disappear. Illidan was still unable to get up as Exadius approached him and put his foot on his upper body, pushing him deeper into the ground.

The demon's yellow-golden eyes fell on the priestess' whose face was a mask of shock. "Where is your goddess now, Whisperwind? Has your goddess forsaken you?" Evil laughter escaped his lips as he removed his foot and walked towards the priestess who sent a moonfire at him but it did no harm to the demon. Tyrande was too weak to injure him. She had spent most of her mana and was exhausted. There was no way for her to defeat the demon.

She walked backwards until her back struck a rock face. Exadius stopped in front of her and looked down at her, an amused grin appeared on his lips as he saw the defiant look on her face. She was not afraid of him. She was brave and that surprised him. He had expected her to be afraid of him but she wasn't. He had to admit he was a little impressed by her courage.

"You are brave, priestess. Too bad that I have to kill you but I have my orders. If it were up to me, I would spare you but I was ordered to either kill you or bring you to our side. You don't want to serve us so you have to die. These are the rules."

Exadius grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. He was strangling her. Tyrande tried to resist but she was powerless. There was nothing she could do to get free. His grip was too strong. Her vision became blurry and memories came back in her mind. Old memories. Memories from her youth. Memories about a young Malfurion but also about a young Illidan. When Illidan had been a good guy. Memories about their lives before the first invasion of the Burning Legion.

A tear ran down her cheek, she was convinced she would die the next moment. She was convinced she would never see her loved ones again. Her husband, her adoptive daughter and even Illidan. She had her eyes closed, expecting that her life would end soon. The pain stopped eventually but she was still alive.

She opened her eyes, checking her surroundings. She was still on Azeroth, in Lordaeron to be exact. She was still alive. She was lying on the ground and no demon stood in front of her. She let her gaze wander, spotting Illidan and Exadius not far away from her.

Illidan was standing between Exadius and her, carrying only one of his twin blades. The other stuckin the nathrezim's right shoulder, a small amount of fel green blood was flowing down his back. The demon was not amused.

Illidan held an object in his other hand. He threw it to Tyrande who caught it. It was a hearthstone. The same hearthstone she had given him when she had freed him from his prison. She had lost her own hearthstone when she had been swept away by the river. Illidan's hearthstone was her only chance to escape the demon who wanted to kill her.

Her blue eyes were widened in surprise and shock as they fell back on the demon hunter, who gave her a small smile and nodded at her. Her gaze fell back on the demon, noticing the anger in his eyes. "You are tougher and stronger than I thought, Illidan. Seems I underestimated you. That was a mistake. I won't do that mistake again," Exadius said and pulled Illidan's blade out of his back, throwing it into the river. He didn't hesitate to run towards Illidan.

"Go now, Tyrande," Illidan shouted.

"But I don't want to leave you alone."

"You will die if you don't go now. Use it, please. I will find a way to escape, trust me. I can do this but you have to go. NOW!"

Tyrande nodded, worry was reflected by her face. She brushed her thumb over the blue glowing symbol. She didn't want to leave him but she knew she had no other choice. She will die if she wouldn't leave immediately. Her heart was heavy and ached, her voice was thin and weak. "Return to me alive and in one piece, Illidan," were her last words before she disappeared.


	29. Observatories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently uploaded a small Spin-Off on this Story. The name of the story is "Stand Together for Azeroth." It's a short story with four chapters about Velsana and Vissia and it takes place during the Legion Expansion. It contains battle scenes but also explicit sexual content. If you don't mind reading some girl x girl action, feel free to check it out. I put a lot of effort into it.

Kelrian's fire consumed the bodies of the last remaining undead, leaving nothing but ashes behind. He checked his surroundings, noticing that most elves, dwarves and humans had survived the battle. He spotted several wounded but the priests and paladins were already taking care of them, treating their wounds as best as they could. The men looked exhausted but most of them were relieved that the battle was finally over.

A few were visibly sad about the loss of their comrades. Kelrian was not happy either that five elves, three humans and two dwarves had been killed by the Scourge but at least they hadn't been reanimated. He and the other mages had been able to burn their bodies before any necromancer could have raised them. Their bodies could no longer be handed over to their relatives, but at least they didn't have to fight for the Scourge. They hadn't been turned into mindless minions. Kelrian was sure their families would be grateful for that. They had to be informed about their deaths yet but that could wait. The sin'dorei had to rebuild the observatories first, otherwise, Garithos would be furious. Nobody wanted to have that racist and his men as their enemy.

Kelrian noticed that his heartbeat was slowing down. His skin was still tingling nervously, the hair on the back of his neck was still upright and he felt pretty exhausted but other than that he was fine. He was wondering how long they would have to fight the undead. Almost a year had passed since the fall of Silvermoon. Since Sylvanas' death. He was fighting for his home, for his people but mostly he wanted to avenge Sylvanas. He wanted to kill Arthas personally for ruining his life and murdering the love of his life. Sylvanas was no longer herself after he had raised her.

The Sylvanas he had known was gone. He had accepted that and was ready to move on. He couldn't wait for returning to Silvermoon and meet Elena again. He wanted to talk to her about everything and find out if a relationship between them would work out. Sylvanas had wanted him to move on. The longer he thought about what happened between him and Elena, the more he realized that he was feeling something for her. He just had to find out what it was.

He missed Elena but not only her. He missed his son, Alleria, Vereesa and Rhonin. He missed his older sister. He knew she survived the invasion but he hadn't seen her since the fall of Silvermoon. He wanted to meet her again once Garithos would allow him and his brethren to return to Silvermoon. He had no idea how long he would have to fight the undead before he could visit his loved ones. He could only hope he would see them soon.

He was wondering what Raesh was doing these days. He was probably living with his aunts and spending some time with Vereesa's babies. He assumed that the silver-haired woman had her hands full with the babies. He knew how stressful babies could be. He also assumed that Rhonin might plan the reconstruction of Dalaran once the remaining undead had been purged. He was sure Alleria was very busy with ruling the blood elves in Kael'thas' absence and organising the reconstruction of Quel'Danas and the villages in the territories they had reconquered so far.

Everyone was busy these days because there was so much to do. Kelrian was sure his people will need years to retake the areas that had once belonged to them and were currently still occupied by the Scourge. It will take thousands of years for the blood elves to recover and reach their old population of one million. They may need years, maybe even decades to defeat the undead and kill their leader but they will defeat them one day. Kelrian hoped that at least.

Knowing that Arthas was still out there and working on his evil planincriminated him. He wanted Arthas' death more than anything else but there was nothing he could do at the moment to come closer to that goal. All he could do was to help his people and the Alliance whenever he could.

Kelrian and the others walked along the path that would lead them to the shipyard. After a while, they noticed huge clouds of smoke from afar. There was a burnt stench in the air. Something had been burned or was still burning. He could only hope it was not the shipyard. He was shocked when he found out half an hour later that it was indeed the shipyard that was burning.

A lot of freshly raised corpses walked around the area. It was obvious that the undead had attacked the shipyard and killed every living creature they had found. Every single dockworker had been killed and raised. A necromancer was in the near. A quiet sigh escaped Kelrian's lips as he realized they had to fight again.

He was still exhausted from the recent battle, but not as exhausted as he had been an hour ago. Nevertheless, he was not really looking forward to the approaching battle. He had only one mana portion left, meaning he was only able to cast a limited number of spells. He looked at each member of his group, noticing that they were ready to fight. Kelrian sighed and pulled his spellblade from his belt.

Together with the king, he got rid of the necromancer rather quickly, burning their remains. Their comrades dispatched the undead within an hour and retook the shipyard. They were dismayed and shocked when they found out that all ships had been burned or destroyed. There wasn't a single functional ship left.

Kelrian stepped to his king who was regarding the sea with a frown on his forehead. Doubt was visible in his blue eyes. "How do we cross Lordamere Lake?" Kelrian asked.

"I have no idea," responded the king.

"May I be allowed to make a suggestion?" asked a strange voice. The king and the prince, who still had no idea about his bloodline, turned around and looked at the newcomer. They spotted five naga. Three females and two males. The female in the middle was the voice's owner.

She had light bluish skin, four arms, and her head was covered by snakes instead of hair. The snakes came out of the top of her head, their teeth were sharp but they had no eyes. The scales of her fishtail were deep blue. She carried a bow in one of her four hands and there was a quiver full of arrows on her back.

Both Kael'thas' and Kelrian's eyes were narrowed as they regarded the naga from head to toe. The naga didn't seem to have any intention to attack them. They carried weapons with them but they weren't pointed at them.

"What are you doing here, naga?" Kael'thas asked. "I thought you are fighting for the demon Illidan."

"We are on our own now, your majesty. I am called Lady Vashj. My brethren and I come in peace. We want to offer you our aid," the naga replied. Her face was beautiful, even though her skin was pale and her eyes were orange. But the rest of her body was not.

"Your aid?" Kelrian asked slightly confused. A frown was visible on his forehead.

"You have nothing I need, witch," replied Kael'thas coldly.

An amused smile appeared on Lady Vashj's lips. "Is that so?" She tilted her head, giving the king an amused smile. "I thought you might require boats to reach the observatories you seek." She pointed at the two boats that just came in the elves' sight at this very moment.

A thoughtful look could be seen on Kelrian's face. "And you would give these freely?" Why should we trust you?"

"Our two races share a common ancestry. We naga used to be night elves so did your people. Also, we have a common enemy."

Kelrian looked at his king, noticing the familiar look on his face. He was considering her offer. Kelrian was not sure what he would do in this situation. A week ago, he had fought the naga and killed lots of them and now they were offering them their aid. He had nothing against the naga since it turned out that they were not evil. They wanted to fight the Scourge as well, so Kelrian wouldn't mind allying with them against a common enemy.

He wondered if Kael'thas saw things the same way. He did. "I accept your offer, Lady Vashj," he responded and offered her a hand "I'm looking forward to fighting by your side."

The naga shook his hand. "So do I."

* * *

Months had passed since they had crossed the river with the naga's ships. They had needed weeks to fight their way to the observatories. They had killed hundreds of undead creatures and only lost a few men. They had started to rebuild the observatories one after one as the grand marshal had ordered them.

Everyone who hadn't been a mage or a builder had gone searching for resources while the workers had started to repair them. Kelrian and the other mages had helped them with their magic. They had lifted stones, wooden planks and other materials in the air and brought them to the workers on the higher levels. Thanks to them, the workers had saved lots of time and the work hadn't been as strenuous as they had expected.

They had rebuilt three observatories in total. They had needed five weeks for the first, three and a half weeks for the second and six weeks for the third which was by far the largest observatory. The observatories were massive buildings which reminded Kelrian of the Violet Citadel in Dalaran. They were smaller versions of the once magnificent building, of which nothing but rubble remained. Around each observatory were thick and tall stone walls and there were even four tall towers on whose tops archers and mages were standing and keeping an eye out for enemies.

To Kelrian they looked like small bases. The only difference was that not as many soldiers were stationed in each observatory as in a regular base. The buildings very pretty tall, so the undead could be spotted from afar. The Alliance would have enough time to mobilize their forces and fight the undead if necessary. Only smaller strike forces had attacked the observatories since they had started to rebuild it.

Dozens of mindless ghouls and skeletons had tried to stop them but the Alliance had taken care of every single strike force. Even abominations, nerubians and necromancers had not been enough to stop the workers. Kael'thas' men and the naga had prevented the undead from coming too close to the workers and the observatories. They had killed every single undead creature and burned their bodies

The past days had been rather quiet, meaning no undead attack had happened. Kelrian was wondering why. It was not unlikely that the undead were waiting for reinforcements and were gathering their forces for a large assault. He was glad that he and the others were finally allowed to have some rest. Fighting every day and every night was very exhausting in the long run. Nevertheless, he was worried that the undead may plan a large-scale attack on one of the three observatories.

Most undead creatures might be mindless but these were only the foot soldiers, the cannon fodder. The leadership of the Scourge, their commanders and generals were anything but mindless. They were very intelligent. The absence of smaller strike forces in the past days could only mean that they had changed their tactics.

Maybe they were preparing an assault, maybe they weren't. Nobody could know what they were planning. Kelrian was still waiting for the return of the scouts. He was curious about what they have seen. He was nervous and he knew he wouldn't be able to calm down before the scouts would return. He could only hope they will return soon. With good news at best.

Kelrian heard a familiar voice calling his name. He turned his head, looking at the owner. His racing pulse slowed down and his nervousness diminished a little as he recognized his older sister. Sydori was standing not far away from him and smiled at him. He returned her smile and approached her to hug her, caressing her back softly.

A week had passed since he had last seen her. She had travelled to the largest observatory to heal the wounded that had survived an attack of over a hundred Scourge minions. Kelrian had read in the report that five soldiers had fallen and several had been wounded but the undead had been dispatched before they could have damaged or even destroyed anything.

"It's good to have you back, sister," Kelrian said as he pulled away and regarded her from head to toe. Sydori wore a light blue robe and brown leather boots, her hair was dyed black and made up in a ponytail. "Same counts for you, brother," responded the priestess.

"How you are doing?"

"I'm good and you?"

"A bit worried but otherwise I'm fine."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kelrian explained to her quickly what happened in the week where she had been away.

"Three days without any Scourge attacks... That's suspicious indeed."

"Usually, I don't have to be that worried because there is always someone with a higher rank who makes the right decisions. But now that I'm in charge of this observatory, I'm more worried than ever. A lot of weight lays on my shoulders and even doing the smallest mistake can have fatal consequences for us. I cannot allow myself to do any mistakes but sometimes I'm not sure if I make the right decisions."

Sydori put a hand on his shoulder and patted it softly, giving her younger brother a comforting smile. "The most important thing is that you remain calm and don't do any hasty decisions. If you have the time, think at least twice about every possibility."

"You are right. Unfortunately, most of the times I don't have that much time. I have to make quick decisions very often and the decisions I make have consequences for us. Everything went fine so far but I'm afraid of making a decision one day that will have negative consequences for us."

Sydori put her hand on her brother's cheek. "I think all of us are afraid of that. You are not the only one. The leaders we look up to were not born as good leaders. They became good leaders by learning and making experiences in many aspects. We all do mistakes, that's only natural. All we can do is to try to make up for our mistakes as best as we can. You are running this place for a month and I never heard someone complaining about your leadership. You didn't lose many soldiers, did you?"

"I've only lost five men so far. Too many for my liking but still less than I've expected. We did well at defending the observatory."

Sydori smiled. "See. Seems you are not bad at all. I'm sure you can make it. You are a good leader, according to your men. I believe you can do it."

Kelrian returned her smile. "Thanks, Sydori. Your words mean a lot to me."

The smaller woman said nothing in return and just smiled.

"Have you heard anything about Elena?"

"As far as I know, she joined the Ranger-General's unit which fights the Scourge whenever they can. They try to reconquer areas and villages but that's harder than expected. There are still too many undead creatures in Quel'Thalas. Sometimes, our men were only able to conquer an area or a village temporarily. Sometimes, the Scourge retakes some of the areas our people had conquered. It's a struggle but they're making progress. It's too slow for their liking but it's better than nothing."

"I see. At least she is doing fine. I was worried when she got injured in that battle but it seems she has recovered from her wounds," Kelrian said and let his gaze wander around.

"She means something to you, doesn't she?"

Kelrian nodded but didn't say anything in return. He stared at the sky, noticing that it had become darker in the past hours. Sydori was about to say something as they heard loud noises from outside. The trampling of hooves. Many horses were galloping towards the observatory. Kelrian didn't hesitate to walk to the gates, signalizing his men to open them.

He stepped outside, spotting the troop in front of the gates. There were forty horse riders who were led by no other than Grand Marshal Garithos. Kelrian knew that nothing good was about to happen. He had heard of Garithos' many victories at the front, so he was wondering what the grand marshal was doing here. He lowered his head to pay the human the necessary respect. "Hail, Lord Garithos. As you can see, we were not idle while you were fighting at the front. This is one of the three observatories you have requested to repair."

The human eyed him for a few moments before he took a closer look at the magnificent building. His gaze remained there for nearly a minute before it fell back on Kelrian. Garithos didn't intend to praise Kelrian or give him any positive feedback. Instead, he asked him a question. "Where is your king?"

"He's at the third, the biggest, observatory. He ordered me to watch after this one."

Garithos raised an eyebrow, doubt was reflected by his eyes. "You? A common lieutenant? Has he lost his mind? He can't leave a lieutenant without any experience of leading a base in charge of this place. That's unacceptable."

A quiet sigh escaped Kelrian's lips. The human's behaviour was more than just insulting but he remained calm. He didn't show how much he hated the grand marshal and his rude behaviour. "I beg your pardon, milord, but I'm no longer a lieutenant. The king promoted me to a captain. Because of that, I'm allowed to lead to this place. It's legitimate."

Garithos snorted. "Whatever," he muttered. He looked at his men and then back at the blood elf captain. "Are the ill news, I received from the front line, correct?" he asked. His voice sounded strict and a serious expression could be seen on his face which looked a lot older than the last time Kelrian had seen him.

"What ill news?"

"That you've consorted with the vile naga," the human replied. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were gritted.

"Well, yes, milord. They helped us to cross the river. The shipyard and all the ships had been destroyed by the Scourge, so we had no other choice than allying with them. They are also fighting the Scourge, which means they are on our side. I assure you they pose no threat to us or to..."

An angry hiss interrupted Kelrian. Garithos looked absolutely furious. "They are inhuman," he shouted angrily. The way he stressed the word inhuman reminded Kelrian that he was the biggest racist he had ever met. His hate for non-humans was well-known but no one had ever said anything about it because they were afraid of him. Kelrian was not afraid of him but he didn't dare to get on his bad side, so he remained silent and didn't make a comment about his stupid statement.

Garithos continued. "They must be crushed like any other enemy. Be careful where you place your loyalties, blood elf. I will not tolerate treason in my ranks. Pass that to your king, captain."

Kelrian nodded.

"Now I must return to the front. You will remain here as well as the others who look after the other observatories. I will hand further orders to your king sooner or later." Garithos didn't say goodbye as he gave his men the signal to set off. He didn't look at Kelrian and just gave his horse the order to move. It obeyed him and rode ahead of his troop, getting out of Kelrian's sight within a short amount of time.

* * *

"As you can see, my king, I have everything under control," said Kelrian as he opened the door and allowed the king to leave the observatory. Kelrian closed the door behind him and followed the king.

"I have expected you to be able to run this place, that's why I promoted you and left you in charge of the observatory. You are a very capable leader. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

A small blush appeared on Kelrian's cheeks as he smiled at the king. "Thank you, my king. Your words mean a lot to me."

Kael'thas returned his smile but said nothing.

"How are you doing, my king?"

The smile on Kael'thas' lips vanished. "I'm fine, I guess. I mean, I'm not sick nor am I plagued by nightmares but I still have to think about everything bad that happened in the past year. I think about these events too often for my liking. The death of my father, of my mother-in-law and of my wife still affect me. I thought I've gotten over their deaths but memories of them come in my mind from time to time. It's not easy to accept the events of the past."

"I can understand you, my king. I'm no longer devasted because of the death of my wife and my niece-in-law. But remembering them still hurts. Fighting the undead is the best way to get distracted and not think about them. I'm glad Elena and my son helped me with my depression and my alcohol problem. The grief would have destroyed me if I would have stayed in my room and would have done else than consuming alcohol."

"I'm glad they managed to help you. You did well in the past months. You may have not realized it but our people are happy to have you around. It's an honour for them to fight by your side in these dark times."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "An honour? Is that not a little exaggerated?"

Kael'thas' expression was serious. "No, it's not. The men and women respect you. Not only because you were Sylvanas' husband but also because you are one of the best rangers and mages we have. You, Magister Rommath and I are the most powerful mages of Quel'Thalas. You are not aware of how powerful you really are and you can become much stronger. You have a lot of potential. I think I already told you this several times."

"You did, my king."

Kael'thas smiled. He was about to say something to his son as he noticed a human approaching them. He had no doubt it was an emissary sent by the grand marshal. The man, who was about thirty years old, stopped in front of the king and lowered his head in respect. "Greetings, your majesty."

"Greetings, emissary. What can we do for you?" Kael'thas asked.

"I bring word from Grand Marshal Garithos. New orders, to be exact."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow. "New orders? What does he want this time?"

"Apparently our spies detected a large undead force massing nearby. Lord Garithos has commanded that you crush the undead before they can march on Dalaran."

"That doesn't sound too difficult with enough men."

The emissary sighed. "Well, there lies the problem..."

"What do you mean?" asked Kelrian, raising an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, your forces may be a little thinned. Lord Garithos has also ordered that all foot soldiers, cavalry and support teams report to the front lines immediately. All humans and dwarves have to go to the front line and fight the undead there."

"That would mean that only my people remain to fight the undead," shouted the prince. He didn't sound pleased.

The emissary nodded, not saying anything in return. It was clearly visible that he understood the king's dismay.

"This is preposterous. Am I to assault the undead with nothing but sticks and harsh language? I don't have enough men to stop the undead. That's suicide," Kael'thas replied, sounding really upset this time.

"The grand marshal has great confidence in your... abilities, your majesty. Be creative. I hope you find a way to deal with the undead, otherwise... I don't want to see you among the ranks of the undead..."

Kael'thas cursed under his breath, dismissing the emissary. He waited until he was out of his sight and turned to Kelrian who didn't look very happy either. "I'm starting to hate Garithos," said Kelrian.

"Me too, Kel. He gives us one difficult task after the other. This bastard just wants to use our people as cannon fodder while his people stay behind and wait for our demise."

"One day he gets what he deserves," muttered Kelrian. Kael'thas didn't respond to that. He shared Kelrian's opinion and his hate for Garithos. The only person he hated more than Othmar Garithos was Arthas. He was looking forward to meeting the death knight again and end him for his crimes. But he knew that he wouldn't meet him so soon. He had to do Garithos' dirty work until the racist would find other tasks for him.

The king was not sure if he would meet Arthas so soon but he was sure their meeting wouldn't end well for the death knight. He will make him pay for everything he had done and he wouldn't stop until Arthas had received his just punishment. The survival of his people was Kael'thas' main goal but the revenge on Arthas was also very important to him. He will guarantee the safety of his people first and then look for Arthas and bring him to justice.

"We should gather our forces and then make a plan to stop the undead somehow," he said.

Kelrian nodded. "I will send messengers to the other observatories."

"Do that. I will think of a plan in the meantime."


	30. Fatal Cooperation

"I've bad news, my king."

Kael'thas turned around, looking at Kelrian with an expecting expression on his face. "Bad news?"

"The undead have taken our outlying bases. We're completely surrounded," reported Kelrian. Worry was reflected by his eyes and his voice.

A frown appeared on the king's forehead, worry could be seen in his eyes. "Those bases are lost. We'll just have to improvise."

"Improvise? How? There are hundreds of undead out there and we only have two hundred men."

The king looked thoughtfully. "I... I need time to think..."

"I doubt we will have time for that. The undead are approaching, they won't need long to reach us."

"I know, Kelrian. I know. Do you have any idea what we could do?"

Kelrian shook his head. "Except for fighting them... No, I'm afraid not. I doubt we will find a way to avoid the undead. They are coming for us and there is no way to escape them."

Kael'thas didn't respond. Anger was reflected by his eyes, he was gritting his teeth and his body was tense. He had no idea what to do and he hated that. He hated to be powerless. He couldn't even evacuate his people because they had not enough time to evacuate two hundred men through a portal. The undead would reach them before they would be able to create a portal large enough so that many blood elves could step through it at the same time.

He knew that his men couldn't stop the undead. They might be able to burns hundreds of undead but these loses will be made up by his people who will fall and be brought back by Scourge necromancers. He knew he couldn't win. He hated that feeling.

It was all Garithos' fault. If that racist wouldn't have withdrawn his troops, Kael'thas would have enough men to deal with the undead. But with only two hundred men he had no chance against the nearly thousand undead creatures. The battle's outcome was decided from the beginning. He hated Garithos more than ever for sealing their fate by ordering him to take care of the undead after he had withdrawn his forces.

He was sure that this had been the bastard's plan all along. It was no secret that Garithos didn't like elves. He didn't like any race but the human race. He was using them as cannon fodder to buy time so that he could deal with the undead at the front first and then take care of the undead that were coming from the east.

Kael'thas was clenching his fists and biting his bottom lip hard. His gaze still rested on Kelrian who didn't hide how worried he was. "Our situations may seem hopeless but we must try. We have to find a way to beat the undead army."

"But how?" Kelrian asked, doubt was clearly hearable in his thin voice.

Kael'thas didn't say anything. He tilted his head a little and looked at a different direction. His eyes were narrowed and it seemed that he was looking at something. Kelrian raised an eyebrow and turned his head, looking at the direction the king was looking. He spotted Lady Vashj and an army of naga approaching them. Kelrian guessed that at least three hundred naga were following her. Among the serpents were even six naga brutes which were at least seventeen feet tall.

Lady Vashj and her bodyguards stopped in front of Kael'thas and Kelrian. The naga lowered her head and gave the blood elves a small smile. "Ishnu-dal-dieb, King Kael. We've come to aid you against the vile undead."

"Greetings, Lady Vashj. I welcome your aid gladly but..."

"You seem worried, Kael. What's wrong?" the naga asked.

"The commander I serve does not approve of your kind. I'm grateful that you want to help us but I'm still worried about his reaction when he finds out that we work together."

Lady Vashj chuckled. "I do not see him here. Or is he somewhere behind the trees?" Her gaze wandered to the little forest behind Kael'thas' army. "Let me bolster your forces with my own. If not, you and your brethren will surely fall. Your deaths will be a waste of such great potential. You do well at killing the undead with your fire techniques. I cannot allow you to fall against these monsters."

"You are right, Lady Vashj. I accept your offer because I have no other choice. I will deal with Garithos later. We won't help him at all if we fall and be brought back by the Scourge."

A small smile appeared on Vashj's pale lips. "Good. But before we go, I have something for you. For you and Kelrian"

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and gave the naga a curious look. "What is it?"

Lady Vashj made a gesture and a female naga sorceress from the first line came to her. She carried two amulets in her hands and handed them to Kelrian and Kael'thas. "These amulets contain an extraordinarily large amount of arcane energy. You will need it for the following battle."

"Thank you, Lady Vashj," said Kael'thas and Kelrian in unison.

"No need to thank me. We are on the same side. Don't forget that," Lady Vashj replied and gave them a small smile.

"I will never forget that," returned Kael'thas.

"Good. We should go. The earlier we dispatch the undead, the sooner you can return."

Let's go then."

* * *

"There are much more creatures than I have expected," said Kelrian as he spotted the undead army that was coming closer and closer. They were coming from all sides which will make it more difficult for the living to fight them.

"This fight won't be easy but I'm convinced we will be victorious," said Lady Vashj.

"Many will fall nonetheless," replied Vara.

"That's unavoidable, unfortunately," responded Lady Vashj.

Kelrian turned his head, his gaze landed on Kael'thas who had summoned Al'ar and was sitting on its back. Lady Vashj's gaze also fell on the phoenix. "That's a beautiful creature."

"It is indeed," responded Kelrian. "Its name is Al'ar. It's the king's favourite pet. To be honest, Al'ar is more like a friend to him than just a pet. But don't tell him that I said that."

"Don't worry, Kelrian. I won't. Did you ever ride on such a beautiful creature?"

"I did. Kael'thas is not only my king but also my mentor and he allowed me to ride Al'ar a few times. He told me that I'm the only one Al'ar allows to climb on its back, except for the king of course."

"I had a beautiful hippogryph when I was a night elf ten thousand years ago. I loved it and it loved me," explained the naga.

"What happened to it?" asked Vara.

"It was killed by a demon. I swore vengeance and killed the demon who was responsible for its death. But that didn't bring my hippogryph back. Nothing but memories remains of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Kelrian, signalizing her that he really meant it.

A barely recognizable smile appeared on Lady Vashj's lips. "It happened ten thousand years ago, so you don't have to be sorry about it."

"I just wanted to be polite."

"I know and I appreciate that."

"Are you ready to fight?" shouted Kael'thas suddenly and let Al'ar rose in the air. He received loud shouts from his men, telling him that they were ready. His people and the naga were ready to fight the undead that had almost reached them.

The battle was long and bloody, many were injured, crippled or even lost their lives. Naga and blood elves were raised by the necromancers but they were released from their suffering rather quickly. The necromancers were the primary target of the naga and sin'dorei because they were the biggest threat.

The living had gotten the upper hand when the last necromancer had perished. As always, the fire had been the biggest friend of the living. The most important tool against the undead. Each undead creature had been quickly turned to ashes once its body had caught fire. The undead may have been superior in number at the beginning of the battle but the living had better warriors and more spellcasters.

The battle, that had lasted for two days, ended when the last undead creature had finally been turned to ashes by Kelrian. He plumped himself on the ground, not caring that it was covered with blood, ashes and severed limbs. He was pretty exhausted and breathing heavily. His upper body hurt but other than that he was fine. He had consumed every piece of arcane energy that had been stored in the amulet and he had drunk all of his three mana potions.

He had the impression that his hunger for arcane energy had become worse since he had been hit by that corrupted wave of energy. He also had the impression that his spells had become more effective. His fire had never burned the body of an undead creature as fast as in that battle. He had no idea what had happened to him but he was certain that the destruction of the Eye of Sargeras had something to do with it.

He sat there for a while, allowing his sister to treat the wound on his left upper arm. His left sleeve was torn in pieces and blood had flown out of a long and deep cut in his arm before Sydori had closed the wound. Kelrian let his gaze wander, spotting sin'dorei and naga who were collecting the fallen and bringing them to wooden carts. The battle was over for hours but Kelrian was still sitting there. He only got up as Kael'thas approached him and regarded him with a worried look on his face.

"Are you okay?" the king asked worriedly.

"I am," Kelrian replied.

"Are you sure? You sat there for hours and did nothing after your sister treated you. It looked like you were miles away."

Kelrian was surprised. He hadn't realized that several hours had passed. He had thought until this moment that he had sat there for a few minutes. He hadn't realized that time had flown by so fast. "Seems the battle was more taxing than expected. I was just thinking about something and then my thoughts drifted off... I'm fine, really."

"If you notice anything odd, go ahead and tell me. I'll help you whenever I can."

"I don't want to bother you, your majesty. You have other things to worry about than the condition of one of your men."

"One of my men? You are one of the best I have. Of course, I worry about you. We need powerful warriors and mages more than ever these days. We need people like you if we want to defeat the undead. I'm still your mentor which is another reason why I have to look after you and make sure you are alright," told Kael'thas.

Kelrian nodded. "I'm fine." He let his gaze wander again. "How many did we lose?"

"Sixty sin'dorei and fifty-seven naga."

"How many undead did we kill?"

"Nearly a thousand."

Kelrian looked back at the king. "Sixty... That's too many..."

A sad look could be seen on Kael'thas' face. "I know. We wouldn't have lost so many if Garithos wouldn't have withdrawn his troops. He knew we wouldn't be able to stop the undead alone but he still gave us the order to fight them. I have the impression that he sent us to die so that we buy him time. We would have died without the help of the naga. Without Lady Vashj's aid, we would have ended up in the ranks of the Scourge."

"Garithos hates every race except the human race. Of course, he doesn't mind if we give our lives to buy him time. I hate that bastard so much. There is only one person I hate more and you know who that person is."

Kael'thas nodded. "There is no one I hate more than the murderer of my father. But my hate for Garithos is on a similar level as my hate for Arthas... We must get rid of Garithos somehow."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, surprise was reflected in his eyes. "We can't just kill him, right? He may be an asshole but he is still on our side, at least he pretends to be on our side. Despite our differences, we can't just... murder him..."

Kael'thas made a thoughtful face. "You are right, Kelrian. We can't. That wouldn't be honourable but... If we ever fight by his side and some undead creatures jump on him..."

"We pretend we didn't notice them and hope they kill Garithos...," completed Kelrian quietly.

Kael'thas didn't say anything. His only reaction was a barely visible nod which Kelrian had noticed. He turned his head as he heard strange sounds. Someone was wriggling across the ground. Lady Vashj and two of her sorceresses had approached him. The worry vanished out of Kael'thas' face and was replaced by gratefulness.

"You have my thanks, Lady Vashj. This victory wouldn't have been possible without your aid, though I fear I may have doomed myself by accepting it." Worry appeared in his eyes.

"The human you serve trusts no race but his own. His sense of honour runs no deeper than his tolerance."

A sad sigh escaped the king's lips. "It is loyalty and duty that binds me to him and to this... failing Alliance. But now those tenets seem as distant as our ruined homeland," he paused for a moment. "All I know is that my brethren and I hunger for something more."

Lady Vashj tilted her head. "Then perhaps, young Kael, it is time to find a new path," she hesitated for a moment but then continued. "A path to power and glory."

"I can't explain it exactly, but ever since our homeland was destroyed, my brethren and I have felt empty... almost drained of our spirit...There is a hunger now that has... hardened our hearts..."

The expression on the naga's face told the sin'dorei that she understood what they meant. "I know this hunger, Kael. Like us, your people are addicted to magic. It flowed through your veins for over ten thousand years. And now, with the corruption of your land and the Sunwell that empowered you..."

"We have been cut off from our power, from our birthright. Without a new source of magic, my people will surely die," Kael'thas responded, sounding very worried.

Lady Vashj sounded serious. "There are other founts of power in this world, Kael. Demons use a powerful and destructive form of magic known as fel magic."

For the first time of the conversation, Kelrian took the floor. "You speak of madness, Lady Vashj. We will never be that desperate and use the same form of magic as those who created the Scourge."

Lady Vashj chuckled. "Your aversion is understandable. But still..." The naga stopped speaking as Vara came in their sight. Vara lowered her head and waited until Kael'thas had given her permission to speak. "Grand Marshal Garithos has arrived, your majesty. He's brought a full battalion with him."

Kael'thas' and Kelrian's facial features derailed, then tense expressions appeared on their faces. "Damn," Kael'thas cursed. He turned to Lady Vashj, noticing the worry in her eyes. "You'd best leave, Vashj. I cannot guarantee your people's safety."

The naga nodded. "I hope we will meet again, Kael."

"So do I, Vashj. Now go." The naga didn't need to be told twice and commanded her forces to follow her. They left the battlefield as fast as possible and even Kael'thas' men tried to leave the battlefield but Garithos and his men caught up to them before they were able to do that.

The Grand Marshal's gaze wandered over the corpses on the ground. He didn't pay any attention to the ashes of the undead nor to the corpses of the blood elves. He only regarded the corpses of the naga and didn't show that seeing their dead bodies amused him. His face reflected anger and disappointment. He was disappointed that the king of the blood elves hadn't listened to him and teamed up with the naga.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, noticing that they were completely surrounded by human warriors, archers and mages. Garithos was not far away from them and regarded the blood elves with narrowed eyes. His gaze fell on Kael'thas. "So, Kael, you've shown your true colour at last. I knew you were in league with those serpents. Now I have all the proof I need to execute every traitorous one of you." As usual, his voice reflected nothing but hatred and arrogance.

"The naga helped us fighting the undead, milord. Without them, the undead would have killed all of us," shouted Kelrian. He knew that racist would never listen to his words but he was still trying it because he didn't want him and his brethren to be executed for no reason.

As expected, Garithos didn't listen to him. "Save your breath, Captain. I never trusted you vainglorious elves. It was a mistake to accept you into the Alliance in the first place. Now, at long last, you'll be dealt with appropriately. Take them away and lock them in the dungeon of Dalaran."

Kelrian's eyes narrowed, anger was reflected by his face. He couldn't believe the human was doing that. He had no right to lock them away and execute them. They had done nothing wrong. They had fulfilled their task and slain the Scourge army. They had succeeded but Garithos didn't care.

He disliked the naga and considered everyone who worked with them as traitors. But he was the only traitor in the ranks of the Alliance. He was the plague and not the naga. He should be executed but the blood elves were not in the position to take him captive.

They only had around one hundred and forty men while Garithos had several hundred. The sin'dorei were outnumbered, so it was unwise to do anything but Kelrian couldn't hold back. He could no longer stand the human's wrong point of view and behaviour. He couldn't allow that Garithos' men would bring his brethren and him to the dungeon and keep them there until their execution. He had to do something but there was nothing he could do. Or perhaps...

Kael'thas stepped in front of his son as he noticed the magic that crackled between his fingers. It was not arcane, fire or frost magic. The small sphere of energy that Kelrian had created was not blue or red. It was green. Fel green.

Kael'thas put his hands on Kelrian's shoulders, shaking him slightly while staring into his eyes until the anger in Kelrian's face vanished like the sphere. Kelrian knew that attacking the Grand Marshal wouldn't change their situation. Even if he would kill him, his men would still carry out their orders. Killing the human would only bring them immediate death. The humans would kill all sin'dorei if anyone would dare to attack Garithos.

Kelrian lowered his hands and shook his head slightly as Garithos' men approached him and the king and grabbed them roughly, dragging them away.

* * *

"I can't believe that this actually happened," said Kelrian. He was sitting in the corner of a cell that was one hundred and fifty square feet tall. The cell was better furnished than he had expected. There was a bed on each side and even a small shelf filled with books in front of the wall opposite to the door. He had expected the cell to be empty and dirty but it was clean and looked at least a little comfortable.

"I can't believe it either," said his cellmate. Kelrian turned his head and looked at him. Like him, he still wore his armour and even his long red cape but the guards had taken away his verdant spheres, fearing he might be able to use them to get free. "I expected other results... I mean, we fulfilled his task, didn't we?"

"You made the right choice when you accepted Lady Vashj's offer, my king. The undead would have overwhelmed us without the naga's aid. Our hands were tied, we had no other choice than working with them. Either we would have accepted their aid and risk that Garithos would overreact or we would have died in battle. You chose the lesser evil," responded Kelrian.

"And now our hands are literally tied," was everything Kael'thas said in return and pointed at the cuffs around his wrists.

A sad sigh escaped Kelrian's lips. "I don't want to die. There is so much I have to accomplish. Arthas must pay for his crimes. He must die so must Xenarion and Dar'Khan Drathir. They all deserve death. They have to pay for their betrayal. For their crimes. Ninety percent of our people died because of Arthas and Dar'Khan. They must be brought to justice. They must..."

Kael'thas nodded. "You are right about that, Kelrian. But it seems that we won't be the ones who avenges those who have fallen. But I believe others will do. These traitors will receive their just punishments one day. I'm certain of that."

Kelrian was silent and stared at his fingers, anger and sadness were reflected in his eyes. He was not afraid of death but he still didn't want to die. He didn't want to die before Arthas had received his just punishment. He had sworn to avenge Sylvanas and Lyndia. He had come to the conclusion that this was his destiny. He also had a son who needed him. He had family who needed him too. He must not die but his life was no longer in his hands.

His life and the lives of his brethren were in the hands of a racist who wanted nothing more than their deaths. It surprised Kelrian that he hadn't executed them yet. But it was only a matter of time until he would order their execution. Their days were counted and Kelrian could do nothing but sitting in the cell. He was powerless and he hated that feeling. It was not the first time that he had been imprisoned.

Nearly seventeen years ago, he had been imprisoned by the Amani trolls. He had not been tortured but used as a test subject for a love potion. He had been held in a cell for two months until he and Elena had managed to escape. He had not known back then what would happen to him but he knew what will happen this time. He will be executed sooner or later and there was no way to prevent that. He was locked in a cell and unable to do anything. He was powerless.

Kelrian lifted his head as he noticed that Kael'thas was staring at him. "Is something wrong, your majesty?"

Kael'thas shook his head. "Now that we are going to die, you don't have to call me by my title. Call me Kael'thas or Kael."

"As you wish, your m... Kael'thas."

"I noticed something when you almost attacked Garithos."

Kelrian raised a brow and frowned, a questioning look appeared on his face. "What do you mean?"

The colour of the sphere you created... It was green. Not blue. Green. Fel green."

The way Kelrian reacted told the king that he had not been aware of that. Kelrian's eyes were widened and reflected a mix of confusion and shock. Doubt appeared a few moments later. "Fel green?" he asked irritated.

Kael'thas nodded but remained silent.

"But...How...I...," Kelrian was at a loss of words and stopped speaking, waiting until he had found the right words. "How is that possible? I have no access to fel magic."

"I fear it has something to do with the corrupted wave of energy that hit us. Illidan and the naga also used fel magic to charge the Eye of Sargeras. I think that your body stored some of the released fel magic," Kael'thas explained calmly, making sure his student wouldn't break out in panic.

"What does this mean for me?" he asked worriedly.

"I have no idea, Kelrian."

"This is not a good sign, is it?"

Kael'thas shrugged. "I don't know."

"Why don't you know that?" he asked, accidentally raising his voice.

The king remained calm and pretended that the little outburst never happened. "I have no answers for that. I only know little about fel magic. If there is someone who knows a lot about it, it is this Illidan but I doubt we will ever see him again."

"You are right, Kael'thas. I don't think I have to worry about the effects because I won't live long enough to find out what the corrupted energy will do with me."

Kael'thas had not the chance to respond to him because three guards came to their cell the next moment, opened the door and entered. The blood elves looked at them but didn't say anything. A tall man at the age of forty with a brown full beard pointed at Kelrian. "Take him! Lord Garithos wants to see him."

Kelrian was surprised but he didn't resist as the two guards walked over to him, grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. He had no idea what Garithos wanted from him but he knew better than trying to resist. Resisting would only bring him much pain. He looked at Kael'thas but there was nothing the king could do for him. He was as powerless as him and could only watch as the guards carried Kelrian away.

They dragged him through the thin corridors where the other sin'dorei were imprisoned. He spotted Vara, Sydori and even Fanomar in one of these cells. The elves didn't look very happy, some of them seemed to be pretty angry and others shouted insults at the guards as they spotted Kelrian. The other guards banged against the bars to silence them but that didn't work in every case. Kelrian was still able to hear the outraged shouts of some elves. But they became quieter and quieter the longer they walked.

They reached a room after a while. The guard with the brown beard opened the door and let him and the two other guards inside. Kelrian turned his head, spotting Garithos at the other side of the room. A mischievous grin appeared on the human's lips as he saw Kelrian. He walked over to the nearest table and picked up a black whip. Kelrian noticed that his eyes glowed fel greenish and green marks could be seen on his neck. Demonic runes.

The guards forced Kelrian to his knees and prevented him from getting up. "Remove his upper body armour," demanded Garithos. "And keep the door open. I want everyone to hear his screams."


	31. Another Nuisance

_Crack_

_Pain_

_So much pain_

_Crack_

_Will the pain ever stop?_

_Crack_

_How long do I have to suffer?_

_Another whiplash_

_The pain can't get any worse, can it?_

_Crack_

_Skin burst_

_Blood flowed_

_Screams filled the air_

_My screams_

_He is enjoying it_

_This bastard_

_Crack_

_More screams_

_Garithos_

_He's controlled by a demon_

_Crack_

_Will this torture ever end?_

* * *

Sylvanas' gaze rested on the human stronghold for a few minutes before she looked at Varimathras. "This is not Detheroc's base. This is a human base. You brought me to the wrong place, demon," she hissed.

Varimathras chuckled and gave her a small smile. He was more self-confident than ever. "This is the right place, milady. Detheroc used his telepathy to enslave a top-ranking human warlord. I believe his name was Garabon or Gilithos or something. Human names all sound the same to me. Instead of stamping it out, Detheroc has taken control of the last pocket of human resistance. They maintain their own army within the keep."

"Your brother is more clever than I thought. His defences are considerable."

"Yes, and with this paltry force you've mustered, a direct assault on his walls would be suicide," the nathrezim commented.

Sylvanas smirked. "I have no intention of assaulting the walls."

Varimathras turned around and started to walk away. "Then let's go before he..." He stopped in his tracks as Sylvanas began to speak. "My banshees will possess those hapless humans. We'll use them to open the gates for us. We will attack at night and only try to kill Detheroc and his minions. We have to spare as many humans as possible because we might need them to defeat Balnazzar and Arthas of course."

"You realize we'll have only a short amount of time before he discovers what we're up to?" Varimathras asked irritated.

Sylvanas smirked again. "Of course. If we strike quickly enough, Detheroc will never know what hit him."

The demon nodded. "I'm ready."

* * *

Kael'thas lifted his head as he heard footsteps. He sat up from his bed and looked at the cell door, expecting that someone will come there soon. The three guards, who had taken Kelrian away a few days ago, came in his sight. They opened the door and threw Kelrian in the cell, spitting at him before they closed the door and locked it again.

Kelrian looked beaten, his back was covered in dried blood but the wounds were still open. At least no blood was flowing out of the wounds that had been obviously caused by a whip. He had been tortured but not only that. His magnificent, long and blond hair, of which he had always been proud of, had been cut. It was very short. Way too short for an elf. Some humans prefer to have their hair that short but Kael'thas had never met an elf with such short hair. Elves loved to have long hair. It was an ideal of beauty in the elven society. Of course, receiving physical pain was far worse than losing one's hair but it still shocked Kael'thas that the humans had done that.

He wanted to go over to him and check if he was alright but another person was already doing that. His newest cellmate had rushed over to Kelrian, as soon as the humans had thrown him on the floor, and was currently checking his condition. Kelrian was still conscious but he didn't look good at all. His skin was pale, his nose was broken and his left eye was swollen. Garithos had mistreated him pretty badly and Kael'thas assumed he had done that because Kelrian had intended to attack him.

"I'm not a doctor but I think he will make it," said Elena. She wrapped her arms carefully around Kelrian who flinched at first but then relaxed when he realized it was her. "His condition may not look good but his wounds will heal eventually."

Kael'thas shook his head. "Garithos plans to execute us, so it doesn't matter if he makes it or not. Unless a miracle happens, all of us will be dead soon."

Elena said nothing in return. She just sat next to Kelrian and held him, allowing him to put his head on her shoulder.

"If there is any justice in this world, Garithos shall suffocate on his next meal," said Kael'thas and hit the wall furiously, not caring that he hurt himself that way.

"There is no justice in this world, that's the problem," responded Elena quietly. "If there would be any justice, Arthas Menethil would be dead already."

Kael'thas hit the wall again but didn't respond to her, not knowing what to say. He went to Elena and helped her carrying Kelrian to the right bed, carefully placing him on top of it. Elena laid next to him and allowed him to snuggle up to her, regarding him with a sad look on her face. "He needs some rest," she said to the king while her eyes still rested on Kelrian.

Kael'thas nodded and dropped onto his own bed, trying to calm down. It was easier said than done. He was furious that Garithos had not only imprisoned those who had followed him but also those who had been near the Alliance's territory. Elena and a few other sin'dorei had accompanied a group of human soldiers on a mission when they had been captured by Garithos' men. He had also locked them in the dungeon and even wanted to execute them too even though they didn't team up with the naga.

It had been his decision and not the decision of his people. He would understand if Garithos would execute only him because he had accepted the naga's offer. His people didn't do anything wrong. But that racist wanted to kill them nevertheless. Kael'thas wished he could do something. He wished he could kill Garithos and everyone else who followed him but he was powerless. He was unable to cast any spell in this enchanted cell. All he could do was waiting. Waiting for the approaching unavoidable death.

A few days passed in which nothing had happened. The guards had only come to their cells to bring them food and water, so they had been left in peace most of the times. Kelrian hadn't said a single word in the past days. He wouldn't have eaten anything if Elena hadn't fed him. He had just laid on his bed and stared somewhere.

Elena had no idea what Garithos had done to him, she could only assume it had been terrible for him. What Garithos had done to him must have left marks on him, otherwise, Kelrian wouldn't refuse to speak or do anything else. Even if he would have wanted to do something, there was not much he could do in the cell.

Elena had refused to leave his side and always stayed close to him, hugged and held him. She had put kisses on his cheeks and on his forehead from time to time. It pained her to see him like this but there was nothing she could do for him. It reminded her of the times where he had been heavily addicted to alcohol and refused to talk to her and to anyone else. This time, the torture he had received was responsible for his silence and inactivity.

She didn't know how many days they had left before Garithos would execute them. It surprised her that he hadn't done it already. She wished she could speak to Kelrian one last time before their lives would end but being able to be near him and hold him was already good enough for her. At least she would die together with the love of her life.

She couldn't know at this point that destiny had different plans for them.

Two days later, Elena woke up in the middle of the night. She heard noises coming from outside the cell but she had no idea what these sounds were and who or what produced them. She turned her head to check her surroundings but it was too dark to recognize anything. She noticed that Kelrian was awake too and had sat up. Kael'thas was also awake.

"What's going on?" whispered Elena.

"I've no idea," whispered Kael'thas and got up from his bed, walking to the cell door slowly. Normally, the corridors were illuminated every night, but that night they were completely dark. He was unable to recognize anything in the dark. He heard noises. Hisses of snakes or naga. He heard lightning strikes and the muffled cries of humans. He was frowning, wondering what was going on. He had a suggestion but he didn't want to leap to hasty conclusions. Suddenly, Lady Vashj and two other naga appeared in front of the cell. Lady Vashj carried her bow in one of her four hands and a bunch of keys in another one.

"Vashj, what are you doing here?"

Lady Vashj smirked. "What do you think am I doing, my dear," she said and unlocked the door, opening it. Kael'thas turned his head, looking at Elena and Kelrian. The pink-haired woman helped Kelrian up and walked with him to the door, leaving the cell after the king.

"My naga took care of the humans in the nearest corridors but there are still enough of Garithos' men in the dungeon."

"We need to free our brethren but even if we do so, there is nowhere to run. Garithos' forces outnumber us ten to one," said Kael'thas.

"You stand at a dangerous crossroads. You can either stay here and be slaughtered by human hands... or choose a darker path... to freedom," Lady Vashj replied.

Kael'thas hesitated at first but then he got curious. "What is this darker path?"

"In the city above us stands a portal. A gateway that leads to other worlds. My master, Illidan, awaits us on the other side of that portal. Lead your people to him and he will forge you a new destiny. He will sate your people's burning hunger for arcane energy."

"Side with a rogue demon... or lead my people to their certain deaths. There is no choice here, Vashj," replied the elven king. "We'll have to free my lieutenants and captains first. They'll be able to rally the others while we assault the exit."

Lady Vashj nodded. "As you wish, Kael."

* * *

The air was cold, the hoots of owls were quietly hearable in the distance. These sounds and Varimathras' breaths were the only sounds Sylvanas' sensitive elven ears could hear. No sounds came from the base in front of them. She was wondering why her banshees were taking so long. They should have opened the gates already. She had a bad feeling about this. About everything. She assumed that something had happened, otherwise, the gates would already have been opened.

Sylvanas remained patient and waited. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. The gates were finally opened and a footman stepped out, waving at their direction. The signal Sylvanas had waited for. The footman was one of those humans her banshees had possessed. They had been allowed to enter the base by their comrades and had waited until nightfall to open the gates.

Now that the gates were open, nothing would stand in Sylvanas' way to kill Detheroc. Sylvanas turned her head, looking at the ten dark rangers. Besides Verena, Nathanos and Velonara six of her best rangers were accompanying her. She didn't want to take more with her, because the chances that the humans would discover them would be higher. One of them was Varimathras who she had forced to take that form. He was disguised as a muscular raven-haired undead elf. All dark rangers nodded to her, signalizing her that they were ready. Varimathras hesitated but then he nodded too.

Sylvanas made a gesture and got up, rushing towards the gates in a stooped posture. The others did the same, making no sounds. The group was as silent as the nightwhen they moved. They arrived at the gates and entered the base, checking their surroundings as they rushed to the nearest building to take cover.

There were no guards in their near. No guards that weren't possessed at least. Sylvanas wished she could take them with her, so they could help her to defeat Detheroc but she knew they had to remain there to keep up appearances. The humans would know that something was odd as soon as they would discover that many of their comrades were not on their posts. They had to stay to cover their backs.

Sylvanas and her group sneaked through the streets, avoided patrols and some drunken humans until they came to the largest building of the base where Detheroc was most likely hiding. The headquarters. They took care of the guards but they didn't kill them. They knocked them out and hid them in the nearest bushes. The humans were not their enemies, they were fighting the Scourge just like Sylvanas and her followers. Their only enemy was Detheroc.

The demon was in the main hall, sitting behind many tables that had been moved together and were full of meat. Roasted chicken, boars, lynxes and even roasted horse meat were served to the dreadlord. A bib was wrapped around his fat neck and covered his fat belly. At the moment, he was devouring an entire boar in one piece. A loud burp escapes his lips, a satisfied expression could be seen on his lips to which sauce still stuck. His eyes wandered, falling on the group that had just entered the room. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Look who's here, the mighty Sylvanas Windrunner. The fact that you are alive means that Varimathras has failed. That doesn't surprise me, he has always been the weakest and most unimportant of us three. Besides, he was so ugly. Have you seen his face? You probably have because you killed him. I've never seen a dreadlord uglier than him," said Detheroc and laughed wickedly.

"That comes from you," shouted a voice.

The fat demon's gaze fell on the brave dark ranger who was anything but amused. "And who are you, elf?"

"You know who I am, Detheroc."

The demon frowned. "An unimportant undead elf nobody cares about?"

Fury was reflected by the undead elf's eyes, his form started to distort until he looked like Varimathras.

Surprise was reflected by Detheroc's face as he recognized his brother. "Varimathras... you are still alive."

"Yes, I am alive, Detheroc and I'm pissed. The words you said were not very friendly. I'm disappointed in you. I thought you would want to avenge me but instead, you made fun of me," Varimathras responded and came closer. "Seems I mean nothing to you even though we spent an eternity together."

"That's not right, Varimathras. I..." Detheroc was unable to finish his sentence because Varimathras hit him hard in the face, causing his head to snap back. Detheroc fell from his chair and covered his face with his hands. Green blood was flowing out of his broken nose. "We can talk about everything, Varimathras." His voice was cracked and weak.

Varimathras hit him with a forceful kick. "I'm listening, brother."

"We should work together like in the good old times. We can defeat this elven whore together."

Varimathras smirked but said nothing. His only response was another punch which broke Detheroc's jaw. The fat demon howled out in pain and backed off, increasing the distance to his brother. "I can't believe you are working for the banshee now."

"He has no other choice," said Sylvanas. "Either he serves me or he dies. He even begged for his life and promised me to help me defeating you."

Detheroc's eyes narrowed and fell on his brother. "So, you are not only a weakling but also a coward and a traitor..."

Varimathras didn't respond verbally. He was pissed that Sylvanas mentioned his inglorious method of survival. Detheroc was still making fun of him, so he couldn't let him go unpunished. He created a shadow bolt and threw it at the fat nathrezim, hitting him. The corners of his lips formed a sadistic smile as he heard Detheroc's loud and painful scream.

There was a yawning wound in the demon's belly out of which green blood was flowing out. "How dare you...," Detheroc screamed but was hit again by the same technique before he could finish his sentence. "Stop doing that!" he screamed but he was hit again and again.

Sylvanas watched amused as Varimathras hit his brother over and over again until he was lying on the ground severely wounded. He was lying in his own blood that was flowing out of several deep wounds. Sylvanas had not expected Varimathras to attack his former partner. She was sure he would have done it if she would have ordered him but she didn't expect him to do it on his own. She enjoyed watching him. She enjoyed the violence, especially when a demon got hit over and over again. She watched Varimathras for a while until she had enough.

"That's enough, Varimathras," she shouted. But the nathrezim didn't stop. His next punch knocked several of Detheroc's teeth out.

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" she screamed, making those around her flinch. Her dark rangers looked alarmed and afraid even though they were not the reason for her anger. Varimathras was the reason. The demon stopped this time, knowing how unpredictable the Dark Lady was. He knew better than incurring her wrath. He stepped aside and lowered his head, muttering an apology.

Sylvanas drew one of her swords from her belt and walked over to the demons. Varimathras was not sure if she would hit him or Detheroc. It was also possible that she would attack both of them. His heart was hammering in his chest and he noticed a similar feeling spreading in his body. He had the same feeling when Sylvanas had defeated him. Fear. He was afraid of what she might do next.

Fortunately for him, she didn't attack him. She pressed the tip of her sword against Detheroc's double chin. She grinned mischievously as she noticed the fear in his eyes. "Please spare me, Lady Sylvanas," he whined.

Sylvanas' smile became wider. That situation was familiar to her but this time she wouldn't show mercy. "I'm sorry, Detheroc, but I have to tell you that I have no use for another demon. Varimathras' services are sufficient enough for me. I don't need another bootlicker."

"I have useful information for you," he replied.

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow curiously. "Which information do you have which Varimathras hasn't? I doubt you have anything useful for me."

Detheroc shook his head quickly. "That's wrong. I have useful information. I promise."

Sylvanas tilted her head, her red eyes bored into his green ones. "Tell me what you know and then I consider what I do with you. Maybe I spare you. Depends on the information you give me." She looked at Varimathras as he felt his burning glare at her. "Why are you looking at me like that? I gave you the same chance. It's only fair when I allow him to speak first."

Varimathras didn't respond, so she turned her head again and looked back at Detheroc, removing the tip of her sword from his neck.

"I know where your people are. Those who survived Arthas' invasion. My minion holds them captive and waits for my order to execute them. If you spare me, I bring you to them and tell Garithos to let them free."

"Where are they?"

"I only tell you if you promise me to spare me."

Sylvanas hesitated for a moment. "I promise."

"Allow me to get up," Detheroc demanded.

Sylvanas allowed it. "Where are they?" she repeated impatiently.

"I ordered Garithos to lock them in the dungeon of Dalaran."

"Garithos won't execute them unless you give the order, right?"

"Well, that's not quite right. I also told him to execute them if he didn't hear from me for three days. If you kill me, you will have three days left until Garithos will execute all elves he caught. That's why I advise you to spare me."

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras. "You know your brother better than I. Is he speaking the truth?"

"He does."

"How do you know?"

"I spent millennia with him. I know when he's lying."

Sylvanas looked back at Detheroc. "Is there anything else I need to know about Garithos or the elves he captured?"

"The newly crowned king and his bodyguards are among the prisoners. I believe one of them was called Kellian or Kelrian, or something like that. You elves have weird names which are hard to remember. I think Garithos tortured him because he tried to kill him."

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Varimathras. "How long do we need to reach Dalaran?"

"Two or to three days. Things can get very tight if you do what I think you want to do. The risk is not low."

"There is always a risk," Sylvanas said and executed a swift strike, separating Detheroc's head from his body. "His death was necessary to lift the spell from Garithos."

"You know that there is the chance that Garithos executes them as soon as he can because he no longer has to listen to Detheroc's orders. Killing him was very unwise."

"My spies spotted Garithos in the east. He wouldn't be able to reach Dalaran before us."

"He has mages," replied Varimathras.

"We have mages too."

"You planned to travel by portal the whole time, right? Then why did you ask me how long it would take us to reach Dalaran on foot?"

"To test if you say the truth. I know how many days we have to travel to reach Dalaran on foot.

Varimathras nodded. "I see. You want to go to Dalaran, right?"

Sylvanas nodded. "I can't allow the quel'dorei to die."

"I believe they are calling themselves sin'dorei these days. They are no longer high elves because they renamed themselves to blood elves."

Sylvanas raised a brow. "How do you know?"

"I have my eyes and ears everywhere," he responded.

"I see."

"My pardon, milady, but it is very unwise to go to Dalaran. Balnazzar will soon hear of Detheroc's death. If we go to Dalaran he will have more time to get prepared for our assault. It is very unwise to give him more time."

"You sound like Balnazzar is the worst nathrezim."

"The worst of us three but not the worst of all nathrezim. There is another who claims that title for himself."

Sylvanas gave the dreadlord a curious look. "Tell me more," she said and started walking towards the hall's exit, signalizing everyone to follow her.

"His name is Exadius, he was once the king of the nathrezim before we were forced to serve the Burning Legion. He refused to join so Kil'jaeden went to my home planet Nathreza himself. He left a bloodbath behind but Exadius still refused to join. They fought for seven days and seven nights but Kil'jaeden was victorious in the end. It was said that Exadius only lost because he was betrayed by one of my people. Exadius asked Kil'jaeden for a clean and swift death but he didn't grant Exadius the death he sought. Instead, he put him under mind control and forced our people to serve him and the Burning Legion."

"I assume he is still alive."

Varimathras nodded. "He is working for Kil'jaeden's right hand. Her name is Alyssa Felspeaker."

"Who's that?"

"A night elf who joined the Legion during the First Invasion. Exadius recruited her but then she rose through the ranks and became his master. He is serving her for thousands of years. I don't know what she did exactly to become Kil'jaeden's advisor but I assume she was very successful in what she has been ordered to do. I heard she conquered lots of worlds in the Legion's name."

"Will this Exadius pose a threat to us?"

"He is pretty powerful. He is much stronger than any other nathrezim. He was not our king for nothing. He is smart, has lots of experience and possesses a power one can only dream of. If I were you, I wouldn't cross his path. Unfortunately, I have no idea what he or his mistress are planning."

Sylvanas nodded. "Good to know." She made a small pause. "Alright, let's go then. We need to go back to our base. Our mages will create a portal and bring us as close to Dalaran as possible."


	32. Righteous Destiny

Kael'thas averted his gaze from the portal in front of him and looked at his son who was sitting on the floor while his half-sister was healing him with the help of the holy light. He didn't hesitate to walk over to them. "How much time do you need?"

"I'm done soon, my king. But I fear that some scars will be left behind. I was not able to close all wounds cleanly," Sydori replied.

Kael'thas nodded. "There are worse things than scars."

"That's right but still. These marks may never leave him. Only with the help of magic, he may get rid of them but the progress is very painful."

"I'm glad as long as he survives. Let's hope the torture he received won't change him."

"I'm fine, your highness," Kelrian said. His voice was quiet and weak but at least he had said something. He had been silent for three days and only communicated with gestures. Most of the times he hadn't reacted to Kael'thas', Sydori's or Elena's attempts to start a conversation with him.

"I'm not sure about that but I trust your word. Do you feel strong enough to go through the portal? I can't leave you here but we can't wait forever because we don't know when Garithos will return."

"I'm fine," responded Kelrian. "I think I can go through the portal."

Lady Vashj came to them. "You should send your people through the portal, Kael. It is time that we take one final step towards destiny."

Kael'thas gaze fell on her, a small smile appeared on his lips as he stared into her eyes. Despite looking like a sea snake, her face was very beautiful. She must have been stunning as a night elf. He had no doubt she had many admirers ten thousand years ago.

He had to admit he had grown fond of her since he had met her. He had talked to her about their pasts, their interests and other topics. He had to say that she had a very interesting personality. She may look like a monster but she was not a monster. She only wanted those naga who followed her to survive. She was a leader who thought first of her people and then of her own interests. Just like him.

"You are right, Vashj," the king replied. His gaze fell on Kelrian, receiving a nod from him. Then he looked at the one hundred seventy gathered blood elves, noticing determination on the faces of most of them. "My people are ready."

A satisfied smile could be seen on Lady Vashj's lips. "Good."

Kael'thas turned to his people. "You have heard her. It's time to take the final step towards our new destiny. The Alliance is failing so we need new allies but we also need a new source of power. Lady Vashj promised that Illidan Stormrage will help us dealing with the never-ending hunger for arcane energy. We will never have to feel the way we are feeling now if we go through the portal and allow him to help us. In exchange, we will serve him. I rather serve him than that bastard named Garithos. To hell with him."

"To hell with him," repeated the blood elves loudly."

Kael'thas smiled and ordered the first group to walk through the portal. An hour later most sin'dorei have stepped through the portal. Only four remained. Kael'thas looked at Sydori, Elena and Kelrian. "It's your turn now."

"What about you, my king?" asked Sydori.

"I will go with Lady Vashj after her people have stepped through the portal. I'm the king so I go last. The Captain leaves the sinking ship last. I won't go before the last ally has stepped through it."

"I will see you on the other side, my king," said Kelrian.

Kael'thas nodded and gave him a small smile. "Now go." He watched them leave, waiting until the last naga had stepped through the portal. Only he and Lady Vashj were left. He stared into her eyes, noticing that she was doing the same. The naga put one of her hands on his left cheek and caressed it. He didn't do anything about it and allowed her to touch him. He didn't say or do anything. He just stared into her eyes.

Suddenly, he heard a sound, turned around and stepped away from Lady Vashj. Arcane magic was crackling around his fingers, his eyes were narrowed as he took a closer look at his surroundings. Lady Vashj had her bow drawn and an arrow knocked.

"Lower your bow, snake. I do not intend to harm you," shouted a voice. Two creatures came in their sight. Kael'thas' narrowed eyes remained on the female. He regarded her from head to toe. Her skin was bluish, there were marks under her red eyes, most of her pale blonde hair was hidden beneath her red hood. Her facial features were familiar to Kael'thas. His eyes widened as he recognized who she was.

His voice reflected doubt and heavy surprise. "Sylvanas? Is this... Is this really you?"

Sylvanas hesitated for a moment but then she spoke, her voice was cold. "It has been a long time, Prince Kael'thas."

"King Kael'thas," corrected Vashj.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on the serpent. "And you are?"

"I'm Lady Vashj and who's that?" she asked and pointed at the demon next to her.

Kael'thas' gaze fell on the nathrezim. "Is that your new overseer? Did Arthas order him to watch over you?"

Sylvanas' laughter sounded horrible. "My new overseer? No. He is not and Arthas is no longer my master. I'm free, like thousands of others who were once forced to serve him."

Kael'thas tilted his head. "And why is he accompanying you then. Who is he?"

"My newest toy. His name is Varimathras and he serves me..."

"Loyally?" the king asked.

"Well, he hasn't proved his loyalty yet but he soon will," Sylvanas explained.

"And you trust him?" Kael'thas asked. Doubt was clearly hearable in his voice but also visible in his eyes.

"I will see if I can trust him but for now, I need his aid to take down the last dreadlord who is plying his dreadful trade in Lordaeron."

"You want Lordaeron?"

"I didn't say that. I just want to get rid of those who stand in my way. I'm sure you know what I want. We share a common goal, old friend."

"Vengeance," Kael'thas replied without thinking twice.

Sylvanas nodded. "Arthas has to pay for what he did to me, to our kingdom and to our people."

"I agree with you."

"It's good to know that you are not my enemy, Kael."

Kael'thas' blue eyes stared into her red ones. "You came here to help us, didn't you?"

Sylvanas' gaze fell on the portal and then on Lady Vashj. "Yes, I did. But it seems someone was faster than me."

"Lady Vashj supported us against the undead. She is on our side. We share a common goal and a common hatred for Grand Marshal Garithos."

"I've heard of him," replied Sylvanas.

Surprise was reflected by Kael'thas' face. "You did?"

The Dark Lady pointed at Varimathras. "He told me that the demon Detheroc mind-controlled Garithos and forced him to capture your people. He wanted to execute them. Varimathras also told me that Garithos tortured Kelrian. Is that right?"

Kael'thas nodded. "He did."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, anger was reflected by them. But her gaze became normal eventually. "How is he doing?"

"He will make it. Elena and his sister are taking care of him."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed again as she heard that name. "What about my son and my family?"

"Raesh survived and lives with your sisters. Your mother died but I'm sure you are already aware of that."

"I am. Lyndia died too so did Sylvera. They are still in Arthas' hands but I intend to free them if I find them."

Kael'thas' eyes reflected a mix of shook and grief. "Sylvera died?"

For a short moment, grief was also visible in Sylvanas' eyes. "Unfortunately, yes. Can you do me a favour?"

"Depends."

"Don't tell Kelrian about me and about everything I told you. I'm sure the torture left marks on him. I don't want you to make it worse. Tell him when the time has come but not right now. Let him recover first."

"You still care about him, don't you?" the king asked curiously.

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. She just stared at him coldly.

"Anyway, I will be quiet if that's what you wish but keep in mind that he deserves to know the truth. The truth about you and your daughter."

"I know. He shall know when the time his right. But for now, I want you to withhold these pieces of information."

"I will think about it."

"Not only think about it," responded Sylvanas. Her voice was louder and more aggressive.

Kael'thas lifted his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say, Sylvanas. Your wish is my command."

A small smile appeared on her lips. "That's what I wanted to hear."

Sylvanas' gaze fell on the portal again. "Where are you going?"

"Meeting new allies. That's all you need to know for the moment," said Lady Vashj.

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed. "I wasn't talking to you, snake," she hissed.

"I would have said the same, Sylvanas. I'm not sure if I can trust you yet. That's why I won't tell you where we go. But I'm looking forward to working with you against the Lich King if you convince me that I can trust you. As you know, Arthas killed my father, my mother and my wife probably too." He made a short pause. "Did you see Alina somewhere in his ranks?"

Sylvanas shook his head, noticing that Kael'thas' facial expression didn't change at all. "But that doesn't have to mean that she was not raised. I don't know about her fate." She might be wrong but she had the assumption that Kael'thas was already over the death of his wife.

The way he had stared into the naga's eyes... Only a blind person wouldn't notice the tension between them. Imaging the king with the naga made her sick but she was the last person who would judge anyone for their love interests. As far as she knew, the naga had been night elves once just like the sin'dorei.

She wondered if Kelrian had already gotten over her. She clearly remembered that she told him to move on. She didn't want him to be alone and unhappy for the rest of his mortal life. It was not unlikely that he had found love again. She had died more than a year ago, so it was possible that he had managed to move on.

If there would be a new woman in his life it could only be Elena. Sylvanas had no doubt Elena would throw herself at him and take advantage of her death. Kelrian believed that she had been turned into a different creature, so it was very likely that Elena was trying to win him over.

Sylvanas didn't know what she should think about it. On, the other hand, she would be happy if Kelrian would find love again. At least the living Sylvanas would have been happy for him. But the undead Sylvanas was conflicted. She felt many emotions. Many emotions she couldn't identify. But she was able to recognize one of them. Jealously. At least she believed it was jealousy. Otherwise, she had no explanation why thinking about Elena and hearing her name made her so angry. So angry that she even imagined smashing Elena's head against a wall over and over again...

"We will go now," announced Kael'thas. Sylvanas was brought out of her thoughts and looked back at the king. "I wish you good luck with your plan. May Arthas get what he deserves."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again, old friend," Sylvanas responded politely and lowered her head in respect as she had always done in life whenever she had said goodbye to him.

Kael'thas regarded her for a few moments before he stepped through the portal with Lady Vashj. He checked his surroundings immediately when he came out on the other side. The area was more dismal and neglected than any other area Kael'thas had ever seen. The ground was not even, auburn and very firm. He saw no sign of vegetation and the ground didn't look as if it was fertile.

His people and the naga were standing around him and Lady Vashj, looking at them expectantly. Kael'thas let his gaze wander. Some of them looked very determined, they would follow him wherever he would go, while others looked insecure and were wondering why they went to this miserable and wretched place. Kael'thas couldn't hold that up against them because he was also wondering why they were there in this sad place.

"What is this desolated place, Vashj?"

"This shattered world is called Outland, Kael. It is all that remains of Draenor, the former homeland of the orcish Horde."

"I remember when Archmage Khadgar led the Alliance Expedition here, years ago. He almost succeeded in wiping out the orcs for good. In an attempt to escape, Ner'zhul opened a number of massive dimensional gateways, but all they succeeded in doing was tearing the planet apart. That's what he told me."

Lady Vashj nodded. "And now, amongst the ruins of this dead world, we have come to find the master."

Kael'thas raised a brow. "Illidan is here? Why? What could possibly interest him in this barren wasteland?"

"That I do not know. Regardless, we should seek him out quickly."

"Agreed... Actually, I am anxious to meet him again. If he can cure my people of their hunger for magic, I will gladly pledge myself to his service."

Lady Vashj gave him a small smile. "Let's go, Kael. Your people can't wait to find their cure. It's somewhere out there in Outland and all we have to do is to find Illidan."

"Do you have any idea where he might be? Where shall we start looking?"

"We should go north. Lord Illidan told me that he wanted to erect a base there."

Kael'thas nodded. "Let's go then, Vashj. The earlier we find him the better."

"I agree, Kael," Vashj responded and smiled at him.

* * *

"I told you it was a waste of time to go there, milady. The sin'dorei managed to get free without your help while Balnazzar has strengthened his defence. He knows we are coming. If we would have attacked him immediately, half of his forces would have died before he would have noticed our presence. Now, we won't be able to surpass his defence." Varimathras' voice was deep as always and sounded reproachful.

The dreadlord was reproaching her, blaming her for that foolish move. She knew he was right. She had allowed her emotions to take control of her and lead her to do that foolish move. She shouldn't have gone to Dalaran and try to help the sin'dorei. She should have attacked Balnazzar immediately. She knew that. She didn't know why she went to Dalaran.

On the other hand, she couldn't have known that her former people had found new allies. She had thought they had no allies and would be executed by that bastard. She couldn't have known that they teamed up with these vile creatures.

Sylvanas didn't want to admit it but she went there because she didn't want her people to die. She couldn't allow that her race would be extinguished. She guessed that only a small portion of the survivors had been trapped in Dalaran but it was not unlikely that these former prisoners belonged to the few warriors Quel'Thalas had left. The sin'dorei wouldn't be able to help her to fight the Scourge without warriors.

She was glad that her former people were safe. She didn't want to admit it but she still cared for them. Nor did she want to admit that the main reason why she went to save them was that she didn't want Kelrian to die. She would rather cut out her own tongue than saying that aloud.

The initial situation was worse than it would have been if she wouldn't have gone to Dalaran. Balnazzar had more men than her and he was the strongest of the three dreadlords. Varimathras would never admit that but it was true. She knew it. She had felt their auras and the aura of Balnazzar had been a lot stronger than the one of Varimathras. It wouldn't be easy to take him down but Sylvanas was convinced that she could defeat him with Varimathras at her side. But first, she had to get rid of his army.

"Lady Sylvanas? Did you hear what I said?"

"I did."

"And?"

"And what? Do you want to keep reproaching me or shall I hit you until you stop?" she asked, her crimson eyes glowed dangerously.

Varimathras swallowed, making a sound in the back of his throat. A small amount of fear was visible in his eyes. "I'm sorry, milady. I didn't mean to...Forgive me...I..."

Sylvanas slapped him hard across the face. Twice. Her face reflected anger. "The next time I will have your head on a spike if you ever dare to contradict me, reproach me or try to correct me. IS THAT CLEAR?"

Varimathras trembled when he saw the maniacal expression on her was unpredictable and that made her so dangerous. He was afraid of her, afraid of what she would do to him if he would say a wrong word or do a wrong move. He knew he had to be careful in her near. One wrong step could cost him his head.

"IS THAT CLEAR, VARIMATHRAS?" she asked again, her voice was much louder.

"Yes, milady."

The expression on her face became normal again. She had calmed down and was no longer furious. A satisfied smile appeared on her lips. "Good."

"We still don't have enough men to defeat Balnazzar's army," Varimathras mentioned carefully, hoping Sylvanas wouldn't rip his head off for noting facts.

"I know but there is someone whose army is big enough."

"You mean Gilithos?"

"Garithos," corrected Sylvanas. "His name is Garithos."

"How do you think can we convince him to fight for us?"

Sylvanas tilted her head, raising a brow. "You often claim that the nathrezim belong to the smartest races of the universe. Proof it. Tell me how you would do it."

Sylvanas regarded him with interest as he thought about it. A thoughtful look could be seen on his face, his hand rested beneath his chin and was caressing it. He was silent for a few moments. "I have two ideas."

"I'm listening."

"Three to be exact. Either we convince him to join us by making false promises. Or we possess him as Detheroc did. And third, we kill him and I replace him."

A mischievous grin appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "I like the third option but I don't want that you kill him. I want you to bring him to me."

"You want to do to him what he did to your husband, right? Varimathras asked. "You want to make him suffer."

Sylvanas was silent, her expression was impassive.

"I count that as a yes."

Sylvanas remained silent.

The demon cleared his throat. "Shall I go now?"

Sylvanas nodded, a small amount of anticipation was visible in her eyes.

"I'll leave then," he announced and walked away.

* * *

Nothing but a wasteland. Wherever Kael'thas looked, he saw nothing but the dull, miserable land through which they were walking for days. He had the impression it would never end. He was wondering how long they would have to travel before they would find Illidan. Not only was marching all day very tiring, especially because of the warm atmosphere, but there was also the constant hunger for magic he and his people had to deal with.

Garithos had taken away all of the artefacts and objects in which arcane energy had been stored when he and his men had imprisoned the sin'dorei. Kael'thas and his people had searched the dungeon for these objects but they hadn't found them. Without them, they couldn't satisfy their hunger which had bad consequences for them. They were physically weaker, some had even collapsed and had to be carried by others while a few blood elves didn't make it. They had lost seven so far. They had put them on stretchers and carried them with them, so they could bring their bodies to Silvermoon one day. They deserve a proper funeral and their families deserve to see their bodies and say goodbye to them.

Kael'thas could only hope they would find Illidan soon. His people needed a cure from their addiction to magic. They needed a new source of power to satisfy their hunger. They needed that to survive. He couldn't allow more blood elves to die. Around ten percent of the population of the high elves had survived the invasion. Most of his people died when Arthas left Silvermoon in ruins.

He couldn't allow his people to die out. The ones who were following him needed help but also those who were in Silvermoon, on Quel'Danas and in the villages which had been rebuilt under Alleria's watch. They needed the cure as bad as those who were with him on Outland. Their mission had to be successful, otherwise one day he would have no more people to take care of. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Kael'thas came to a cliff, stopping in front of it and letting his gaze wander. There was a huge base on the other side of the cliff. The design of the buildings was familiar to him. Lady Vashj came to Kael'thas, putting a hand on his back. Her orange eyes took a closer look at the base. "Night elves! What could they be doing here?" she asked confused.

"The warden Maiev swore to capture Illidan at any cost. She must have brought her warriors here to hunt him."

"Damn. We must prevent her from getting him," hissed Lady Vashj.

"I'm afraid but it seems we are too late for that," said a familiar voice. Kael'thas turned around so did Lady Vashj who removed her hand from his back immediately. They saw Kelrian whose condition had become better over the past days. He was one of the few whose condition hadn't become worse since they had stepped through the portal and arrived on this strange, shattered world.

"What do you mean, Kelrian?" asked the king.

"The hidden wards we put on the ground from time to time noticed something," he said and took a glass globe out of his backpack, muttering a few words. The globe started to glow and showed a moving image. It was like a vision, but it showed the events of the present and not of the past or future. Kael'thas' and Lady Vashj's narrowed eyes rested on the object. They saw Maiev, four of her warden and four archers escorting a floating large green crystal in which Illidan Stormrage was locked.

"He might still be alive," said Kelrian.

"We must rescue him before the damned night elves bring him to their base," hissed Lady Vashj.

"I agree," responded Kael'thas. "Let's go."

* * *

Sylvanas looked up from the map as a familiar person entered the room. It was one of her best dark rangers who had never disappointed her since they had broken free from the Scourge. He had been one of her best rangers in life and his unholy resurrection had only made him stronger.

He waited near the room's entrance and looked at her, waiting until she allowed him to speak. "What is it, Zetai?"

"Varimathras returned with the human you wanted alive."

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a small smile, anticipation appeared in her eyes. "Where is he?"

"He's waiting outside."

"Tell him to come in."

"As you wish, milady," Zetai responded and left the room. Sylvanas didn't need to wait for too long. Varimathras, Zetai and the dark rangers Kelia and Velonara entered the room three minutes later. Varimathras carried a humanoid creature wrapped in blankets on his shoulder.

"Welcome back, Varimathras," Sylvanas said with a pleased smile on her lips. "It seems you were successful. I hope you kidnapped the right human and not someone who looks similar to him."

"Don't worry, milady. The humans I manipulated confirmed that the man I kidnapped is Garithos." He put the creature on the floor.

Sylvanas made a gesture and Varimathras didn't hesitate to remove the blankets. A gagged and tied man laid in front of her feet, his once magnificent armour was dirty and heavily damaged. Dried blood stuck on it as well. "He's wounded," Sylvanas remarked.

"He resisted and I wounded him in the progress but he is still alive, as you demanded."

A mischievous grin could be seen on her lips. "Perfect." She regarded the unconscious human for a few moments before she looked at Zetai and Kelia. "Bring him to the back room and remove his armour then tie him onto the table." The dark rangers didn't hesitate to carry out the order.

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras. "Balnazzar hides in the ruins of Lordaeron. Are Garithos' forces mobilized?"

Varimathras nodded. "They are ready for battle and waiting in a camp near your base."

"Perfect. We will attack in two days. Be ready."

"I will, milady."

"Go now." Sylvanas' gaze fell on her dark rangers after the demon had left the room. "You will leave too," she commanded. The dark rangers nodded and walked out of the room. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to go to the back room, her facial expression reflected pure anticipation.

She walked over to Garithos, noticing that he was awake. His brown eyes were widened and he looked around in panic but was unable to anything in the room which was not illuminated.

"Where am I?"

"Somewhere nobody will ever find you," Sylvanas whispered, her voice sounded dangerous. Very dangerous.

Garithos shuttered as he heard her voice. "Who are you?"

Sylvanas was silent.

"What am I doing here?"

"You are being held captive by me."

Garithos' eyes narrowed. "Who are you and why are you doing this to me?"

Sylvanas remained silent and pulled a dagger from her belt, running the tip of her index finger over the blade.

"Let me go," demanded Garithos. "I did nothing to deserve this."

Sylvanas snorted. "That's a lie, Garithos, and we both know it."

Garithos tried to recognize anything in the dark but he saw nothing but the shapes of a person. "Who are you? I'm tired of this. Show yourself, coward."

Sylvanas muttered a few words in ancient thalassian and the surrounding darkness was lifted a little. Garithos was able to see her. His eyes were widened in shock but the shock was quickly replaced by anger and disgust. "An undead Scourge whore, I knew it."

Sylvanas remained calm. "I'm no longer fighting for the Scourge. I want to destroy it by any means."

"Pah. I don't buy that for a second. You want to manipulate me and make me believe you are fighting the Scourge but in truth, you are still a part of it. You undead are all the same. Dumb, mindless creatures who follow that traitorous bastard. I don't listen to your lies, ugly bitch."

"I'm not lying and I don't care if you believe me or not. I didn't bring you here to convince you to work for me. Your men are already under my control. They will help me defeat Balnazzar. I will use them as cannon fodder and those who survive will be controlled by Varimathras. I can also just kill and raise them if I want. You must know that Arthas made the mistake to give me more power than any other creature he had raised. I nearly killed him but one of his loyal bootlickers prevented that at the last moment. Anyway, I am sure you are wondering what I want from you instead."

Garithos' eyes were still narrowed. "Yes, I do."

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a wicked smile as she toyed with the dagger. "I will make you pay for what you did to Kelrian," she said and rammed the dagger in his left upper thigh, her smile became wider as she heard his loud and painful screams.

"Who?" Garithos cried out. "I have no idea who you are talking about."

Sylvanas rammed her dagger through his other upper thigh. "You know exactly who I mean." She pressed the tip of the dagger against his neck. "The blood elf you tortured."

"I tortured lots of them. That's not very precise."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, she moved her dagger and cut his left cheek. "His name is Kelrian Sunsinger."

Garithos' eyes widened. "You mean the king's lapdog."

Sylvanas cut his other cheek. "I don't like the way you call him."

Fear was clearly visible in his eyes but Garithos still managed to control himself. He didn't beg her to stop nor did he tried to get free. His eyes narrowed eventually and a bold look appeared on his face. "I'm not afraid of you, evil witch."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Your eyes are telling a different story. Seems they are lying. Either them or your tongue. One of them lies. We need to get rid of the liar. What do you value more, Garithos? Your tongue or your eyes?"

Garithos' eyes narrowed, an angry expression appeared on his face. He didn't say anything in response but he spat at her, hitting her face. Sylvanas lashed out, hitting him hard across the face. His nose broke and blood flowed out. "You judge others because of their race. You judge them by the way they look. You are a racist, Garithos. You are the worst of the worst. But you won't be able to judge anyone by their looks if you can't see them," Sylvanas said with a furious voice and brought the tip of her dagger close to his left eye.

"You may kill me witch but you won't succeed in the long run. Someone will come and bring you to justice."

"There is no justice in this world, otherwise, Arthas would be already dead," responded Sylvanas and stabbed, listening to his painful cries which were music to her ears. "And you won't die now. You will suffer and wish you had never touched a hair on Kelrian's head. Your death will be slow and painful. A death a monster like you deserve."

Sylvanas moved the dagger a little to the right and stabbed again.

"Now the looks of other creatures will never bother you again but you won't make it out alive, so it doesn't matter anyway." She paused for a moment, calming down a little as she listened to his painful cries. "I think that's enough for now. See you soon, Garithos. Oh, wait... my bad."

Sylvanas regarded the grand marshal for a few moments before she turned around and walked out of the room, leaving him there alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for commenting my recent chapters. You are motivating me that way to continue this great work. Keep doing that. Your positive feedback means a lot to me.
> 
> Also, some of you asked when Kelrian and Sylvanas will reunite. I'm not sure yet in which chapter they will meet again but I know it won't happen before the end of the Warcraft 3 storyline. They will meet after Kael'thas, Kelrian and Illidan fought against Arthas in Northrend.


	33. A New Home

Footsteps. Armour pieces rattled. Quiet voices were hearable. "Keep moving, sisters," shouted a familiar voice. Maiev's voice.

"If we keep moving so slowly, we will never reach the base before nightfall."

She sounded stressed and frustrated but Kelrian was wondering why. The Maiev he had gotten known to wanted nothing more than capturing Illidan. She should be happy that she finally got him but she didn't sound happy at all. It seemed that Maiev wanted to bring him to the base as fast as possible because she feared that someone would attack them open field.

Kelrian was wondering if the warden knew that they were on Outland. He was wondering if she knew that they were hiding behind these rocks and were about to ambush them. She was overly cautious but Kelrian doubted she knew about their presence.

Kelrian looked out from behind the rock, behind which he was hiding, and saw Maiev, four warden and four archers. The four warden were close to the crystal that was moving by itself. Kelrian was sure that Maiev and her warden had cast a spell on it.

He looked at Kael'thas and Lady Vashj, receiving nods from them. Then he looked at Elena and Vara, noticing that they were ready too. He began to prepare a freezing spell, waiting for the king's signal. Kael'thas summoned Al'ar and climbed with Lady Vashj on its back, rising in the air.

That was the signal. Over twenty blood elves and twenty naga came out of their hiding places and surrounded the night elves. Kelrian shot his spell, freezing the nearest warden. They didn't want to kill the night elves, they just wanted to free Illidan, so the spellcasters just froze their opponents, locking them in ice blocks.

Before Maiev could have reacted, Kael'thas had wrapped most of her body in ice. Only her head was free. Her narrowed eyes reflected hatred as they fell on Kael'thas. "What are you doing, Kael? And why are you siding with these ill creatures?"

"Ill creatures? The only thing that is ill is your thirst for vengeance, Maiev," hissed Lady Vashj.

"Lady Vashj, the handmaiden of the traitor queen. You have been beautiful once and now look at what you have become. A vile snake who is kissing the feet of the betrayer. First, you advised Azshara and now you are serving Illidan. You can't just stop serving traitors. What a shame."

"And you cannot stop hunting Illidan. You could have spent the last ten thousand years wise but you chose to be Illidan's jailer. How does it feel to have wasted ten thousand years? You could have just let him go but you decided to hunt him."

"I will never stop hunting him," spat out Maiev. "Illidan has to pay for the crimes he committed. I will never allow him to live in peace after everything he has done. He killed so many kaldorei... Illidan deserves to die."

"Illidan may have sacrificed the lives of many kaldorei but he did that to fight the Burning Legion and he was successful in the end. The sacrifice of our people prevented the Legion from conquering our world."

Maiev's eyes narrowed, her voice reflected confusion. "Our people? They are not _our people,_ Vashj. The kaldorei are my people, not yours. I'm still a kaldorei but you are no longer one of us. You are a naga. A monster."

Kael'thas cleared his throat, getting the attention of Maiev and Lady Vashj. "As far as I know, Archdruid Stormrage forgave his brother after he rescued Lady Whisperwind from the demon who tried to kill her. He no longer wants to imprison Illidan. The High Priestess, who joined you on the hunt, doesn't want to do it either. I'm sure they don't want you to kill him or put him back in prison. If the leaders of your people don't want him to be killed or imprisoned, why are you still chasing him? It seems to me that you're the betrayer this time."

Maiev was about to spit something back at him but Lady Vashj froze her head. "I'm tired of her. Her voice is so annoying."

"What do we do with her and the others?" asked Kelrian.

"We should kill them. At least Maiev. She will never stop hunting Illidan if we don't kill her," responded Lady Vashj."

"That wouldn't be right," replied Kelrian, his narrowed eyes rested on the naga.

"What would be right in your opinion, captain?" the naga asked.

Kelrian made a thoughtful face and was silent for a few moments. "We should bring her back to Azeroth and hand her over to Lady Whisperwind and to her husband. She is a night elf and she violated the orders of the archdruid. What will happen to Maiev and to those who follow her should be decided by them and not by us.

"Kelrian is right," said the king. "Killing them is not an option and we have no right to imprison them. We will only draw the archdruid's wrath upon us if we imprison or kill any of his people. We don't want them as our enemies now that we are fighting the Scourge."

Lady Vashj sighed. "Fine."

Kael'thas' gaze fell on Kelrian and the other mages. "We will make a portal to the night elf base where we have met Malfurion. Kelrian, Vara and their groups will bring them to the archdruid and tell him what happened."

Kelrian nodded. "As you wish, my king."

"Lady Vashj and I will free Illidan from his prison and then we shall see what he has to say. I bet he has a base somewhere on Outland," Kael'thas said.

Kelrian, Kael'thas and the other mages managed to create a portal within an hour. It had taken them more time and mana to create a portal from another world to Azeroth. It was much easier to create portals when both locations were on the same planet. Kelrian was wondering how difficult creating a portal from Azeroth to Outland would be. But he was convinced he would manage to create a functioning portal now that he had seen Outland with his own eyes. He can make portals to every area where he had been, so he was sure he could create a portal to Outland.

Kelrian looked at the king and Lady Vashj one last time before he took Elena's hand and stepped with her through the portal.

* * *

Lordaeron. The capital of a once glorious kingdom. Sylvanas still remembered how it had looked like before Arthas and his henchmen had slaughtered the king, Arthas' own father, and its population. It had been magnificent and beautiful before the death knight had ravaged it.

The magnificent walls that surrounded it were still intact, so were the towers and gates. The gates were closed and Sylvanas could only assume that they were barricaded with everything the dreadlord had found in the ruins. Tables, chairs, shelves and other pieces of furniture. It wouldn't be easy to break through the gates even with siege engines.

But Sylvanas didn't want to break through the gates. Her warriors would be exposed to the barrage of the demon's minions until they break through the gate. If they would break through the gate. She didn't want to lose too many of those who followed her. She wanted to keep as many Forsaken as possible and she wouldn't shrink back from sacrificing as many humans as necessary.

She also needed a large base from which she could operate. Lordaeron seemed to be perfect for that. It was in the centre of the kingdom and it was connected with Silvermoon City through various routes. If she would ally herself with the blood elves, they could exchange goods, weapons and other stuff and reinforce the other if the Scourge would attack them. They could drive out the Scourge together. Sylvanas wanted Lordaeron, so she wanted to damage it as little as possible. She knew that it was very unlikely that the city's structure wouldn't be damaged but she could make sure that the extent would be as small as possible.

Her plan was simple. She had mages in her ranks who had lived in Lordaeron or had visited the city at least one time. They will make portals and bring them to a remote area of the capital. A few rogues, mages and two of her dark rangers had already sneaked in the capital city. They had found the perfect hideout where none of Balnazzar's minions was stationed. She would bring her army and the human army to this place and storm the city from within.

Her gaze fell on theundead and human mages who were keeping open the portals they had just created. She looked at Varimathras who was disguised as Garithos and sat on his horse in front of the human army. "Are you ready?" Sylvanas asked him.

"I am and so is my army."

"Perfect." She pointed at the portals.

Varimathras nodded and gave the humans the order to go through the portals that were fifteen feet tall and fifteen feet wide. Sylvanas watched Garithos' men walking through the portals and then her people, the Forsaken as she preferred to call them, walked through them. Nearly an hour had passed as the last Forsaken footman had stepped through the portals. Only Sylvanas and her best dark rangers were left. Zetai, Nathanos, Kelia, Velonara and Verena were her bodyguards who wouldn't leave her side in this battle.

She looked at them, noticing the determination in their eyes. They signalized her that they were ready to follow her and fight by her side. Sylvanas stepped through the portal with them, noticing that the battle had already started. Humans and Forsaken were fighting against Balnazzar's minions. There were undead and humanoid creatures that had been manipulated by him but also demons.

Lesser demons like imps, felhounds but even some wrathguards were present. Balnazzar had requested aid but it seemed that the Burning Legion didn't give him what he had requested. There were no massive demons who could crush dozens of humanoid creatures with their feet. There were no infernals, doomguards or other fearsome demons she had heard stories about. She knew that the demons he had summoned were pretty powerful and deadly but not as deadly as other demon races. She gave the order to remain careful in their near before she entered the battlefield.

Her first arrow hit a wrathguard right between the eyes, killing it. Her next arrow ended the life of a possessed human and the third killed a ghoul. Her aim was true so was the aim of her dark rangers. They were the best of the best for a reason. All of their shots were precise and most of them ended the life of an opponent. Only a few creatures survived the first shot.

Mages were in their near, refilling their quivers whenever they were almost empty. The mages used arcane and frost spells to deal with the enemies. They only used fire if it was really necessary. They ignited Balnazzar's necromancers and killed them quickly.

Sylvanas did not only use her arrows to kill Balnazzar's minions. She used dark magic and even her swords to slain those who come too close to her. She was able to drain the life essence of humans who came too close to her, making herself stronger that way. She put curses on her enemies, weakening and inflicting pain to them that way. She even threw spheres of dark energy at groups of undead who died immediately when the spheres exploded.

Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days. Three days had passed since the battle had started. Three days in which she had lost hundreds of humans but also dozens of Forsaken. At least, they killed ten times more enemies in return. They had fought their way through the city and reached the entrance to the throne room.

A wrathguard roared loudly and charged at Sylvanas, intending to significantly weaken the attackers by taking out their leader. Sylvanas duck beneath its axe and rammed her sword in its left upper thigh. She rammed her other sword in its stomach, drew them out and jumped up, ramming her swords in its eyes.

The demon howled out loudly and tried to hit her with its axe but she jumped away and then attacked it again, beheading it with a clean cut. Green blood sprayed as the body collapsed and dissolved a few moments later.

A female undead high elf approached her but Sylvanas dodged all of her attacks, ramming her sword through her chest. The undead cried out loudly but then became silent quickly. Sylvanas drew her sword out, watching as the body fell to the ground and became limp. She came to the huge door against which her abominations had been throwing themselves for several minutes. Her abominations were not pretty smart and unable to sense magic. They couldn't know that a powerful spell had been cast on the door. The door wouldn't break so easily. But without the spell, it wouldn't be a problem for them to destroy it.

Sylvanas called out for her spellcasters. They rushed to her and lowered their heads in respect. Sylvanas told them about the spell and ordered them to remove it. They needed half an hour to do so because the spell was very powerful. So powerful that it was very likely that Balnazzar himself had cast it. Nevertheless, they managed to lift the spell and the abominations broke through the door eventually.

Sylvanas let some of her minions enter the throne room to check for traps before she entered it. Her bodyguards stood right behind her. They spotted nearly three dozen undead standing in front of Balnazzar who was busy channelling a spell. His hands were glowing greenish. It was not unlikely that he was trying to summon something. Varimathras transformed into his true form and leapt into the air, spreading out his wings. He flew over to his brother and landed a kick in Balnazzar's face, knocking him away. The spell was interrupted and the nathrezim landed on the floor, spitting green blood out as he got up.

"Varimathras... How dare you attack me, traitor? How dare you work for that undead bitch who killed our brother?"

"I no longer consider Detheroc as my brother. He was weak. He preferred to eat instead of getting stronger and stronger. The way he looked... He was a disgrace to our family, to our race."

Balnazzar's eyes narrowed. "And you are not? You became the banshee's servant after she kicked your ass. You are not any better than Detheroc. She defeated you and spared your useless life. You were once a high ranked commander of the Burning Legion but now you are nothing but the banshee's lap dog. I wonder how it must feel to fall so deep so quickly. You were at the top of your career, Varimathras. But now you are at your bottom. What a shame."

Varimathras gritted his teeth but didn't say anything in response. He started casting a spell but Balnazzar was faster, hitting him with a shadow bolt. No sound escaped Varimathras' lips nor did he pay any attention to the fresh wound in his upper body. He rushed over to his brother and intended to attack him but the taller demon managed to grab his arm and ram his fist in his stomach, making Varimathras gasp. He was stunned for a few seconds and Balnazzar took advantage of that.

He grabbed Varimathras by his hips and flung him over his shoulder, causing him to land hard on the ground. He put his feet on his opponent's torso and exerted pressure, causing that painful noises escaped Varimathras' lips. Balnazzar regarded his suffering brother with a wide smirk on his lips. "I have always been the strongest of us three. Not only am I taller and more muscular than you, but my magic is also a lot deadlier than yours. Lord Kil'jaeden gave me more power than you and Detheroc because he knew that I am the most promising of us three.

It was a foolish move to attack me, brother. You knew you have no chance against me. So tell me, why did you attack me? Did the banshee amputate your brain and replaced it with a brain from one of her filthy minions? Or why are you acting so stupid? The Varimathras I've known would never be so dumb and attack me alone."

"But he is not alone," said a scary sounding voice. Balnazzar turned his head in the direction the voice came from and noticed the arrow shot at him too late. It hit him in the right shoulder, piercing flesh and bones. Balnazzar cried out in pain but he didn't remove his foot from his brother's chest. Not even as the several arrows of Sylvanas' dark rangers hit him.

A dozen arrows stuck in his upper body but he still didn't release Varimathras. He raised his left hand and muttered a few phrases in eredun. An explosion hit three of Sylvanas' dark rangers, killing two of them and seriously wounding the other.

Sylvanas' crimson eyes narrowed and reflected anger. She couldn't believe that Balnazzar was attacking her people instead of herself. He was not taking her seriously. He didn't consider her as a threat. Sylvanas hated that. He was mocking her and she will make him suffer for that insolence. She focused her power and created a black sphere, throwing it at the dreadlord. It exploded as it came in contact with his upper body, heavily injuring him. Blood was flowing out of a dozen places, his skin and flesh were missing at some places and even parts of his ribs could be seen.

Balnazzar staggered backwards, his face was distorted in pain. He was shocked that she was so powerful. He couldn't believe that she had managed to heavily injure him with one of her spells. He had underestimated her just like his brothers. He realized his mistake but he didn't get the chance to make up for that.

A fist connected with his jaw. Varimathras' fist. His younger brother hit him hard in the face again and again, then he grabbed him and flung them to the ground. He put his foot on Balnazzar's chest, giving him a triumphing grin. "What's wrong, brother? Did you swallow your tongue?"

Balnazzar hissed but didn't say anything in response. His eyes were narrowed and rested on his younger brother before they fell on Sylvanas who came over to him. An amused smile appeared on her lips. "It is over, Balnazzar."

The dreadlord didn't respond, he just stared at Sylvanas as if he was hoping his looks could kill her. Sylvanas ignored him and looked at the demon who was serving her. "Varimathras?"

The nathrezim turned his head to look at her, his face reflected curiosity. "Yes, milady?"

"Kill him," Sylvanas said determinedly.

Varimathras' eyes widened in surprise. Disbelief was clearly visible in his face. "But I... It is forbidden for one of the nathrezim to kill another. My defection was one thing, but this..."

Sylvanas tilted her head but her facial expression remained the same. Her glance was cold as ice. She didn't care about the rules of the nathrezim. She didn't care about their traditions, their prohibitions or anything else. If Varimathras really wanted to serve her, he had to do anything she wanted from him. Anything. This was the perfect test of his loyalty and whether he was serious about what he had promised her. "I require one last test of your loyalty, dreadlord. Do it."

Varimathras hesitated for a moment but then he averted his gaze and looked at his brother. He dug his claw deep in his brother's chest and pulled his heart out, squashing it like an overripe fruit. He stared at the body of his brother that dissolved quickly and was pulled back in the Twisting Nether. He was not grieving, knowing his brother was not really dead. He looked back at his mistress, noticing the mischievous smile on her lips. "You passed the test, Varimathras. Congratulation."

The demon didn't say anything in response.

"The city is ours. Lordaeron will be our new base. Our new home. We will live there from now on and plan Arthas' demise."

The Forsaken cheered, only the humans were silent because they weren't sure if Sylvanas meant them too or just to the undead.

"What shall we do with the humans, milady?" Varimathras asked eventually.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on the hundreds of humans at the other side of the throne room. She knew she could keep them as her mindless slaves, as cannon fodder against the Scourge but for some reason, that didn't feel right. She knew how it was to be mind-controlled and forced to do anything her master wanted. She knew how it was to be a slave who had no control over their actions. She had hated being forced to kill her former people. She had hated every single moment of her involuntarily servitude, so she would never do that to anyone.

She doubted that most of Garithos' men had shared his opinion about other races. They had only obeyed his orders because they had been too afraid to contradict him and draw his wrath upon themselves. She had fought alongside the humans in skirmishes against forest trolls. She had fought with them against the Horde in the Second War. Most of them were not racists. There were only a few of them who were like Garithos. Most humans were good people.

She didn't want to be like Arthas, so she wouldn't just kill and raise them. She only brought back those who had already fallen. She needed more warriors but she was not so desperate to kill living beings and raise them. She was not a cruel person. She was no murderer. She was not a monster like Arthas.

"Bring them outside my city and let them go. Let them think that Garithos fell in battle against the undead."

Varimathras nodded. "As you wish, milady."

* * *

"The archdruid is ready to see you, Captain. Follow me please," said Melysa. Kelrian looked at Elena and the twenty sin'dorei who were accompanying them. The mages among them were holding the nine ice blocks in the air and made sure the prisoners wouldn't be able to get free. His gaze rested on the pink-haired woman for a few moments before he looked back at the kaldorei priestess who was giving him an expecting look.

"Lead the way, Melysa. We will follow you."

The priestess nodded and started to walk, bringing the sin'dorei to a double-door in front of which several night elves were standing. Melysa walked to them and said something to them in darnassian, the guards nodded and opened the door, allowing her and the sin'dorei to enter.

They came into a large hall. The walls were made out of solid wood so was the floor which was covered by a purple carpet. Night elf warriors and warrioresses stood along the walls. In the middle of the room stood Malfurion and Tyrande who were talking about something. Kelrian was not close enough to hear much even with his good hearing but he was certain he had heard Illidan's name leaving Tyrande's lips.

The night elf couple turned around when the priestess and the sin'dorei approached them. Kelrian didn't hesitate to lower his head in respect. "I greet you, archdruid." He looked at Tyrande. "I greet you too, High Priestess." Malfurion and his wife nodded and greeted him in return.

Malfurion's eyes fell on the ice blocks behind Kelrian's men. "At first, I did not believe that you succeeded in capturing Maiev and those who still follow her, but it is indeed true. I told Maiev that there is no need to bring Illidan to justice. I told her to stop hunting him now that he is on our side. But she didn't listen..." It was obvious that Malfurion was disappointed in Maiev.

"She went to Outland to hunt Illidan. She didn't kill him but she put him in a green crystal and imprisoned him that way," explained Kelrian.

Malfurion's eyes fell on Tyrande and remained on her for a few moments before they wandered back to Kelrian. "I don't doubt that for a second. I know you and your king. You are honest persons. And I know Maiev. She doesn't care about anything else as long as she gets her vengeance. But she has no longer the right to claim vengeance on Illidan.

Illidan may have committed various crimes ten thousand years ago but he had received his punishment already. He suffered in his prison for ten thousand years. That's punishment enough. As long as he fights the undead and the Burning Legion, I see no reason to lock him in prison. Maiev went too far this time."

It was Tyrande's turn to speak. "Illidan saved my life. Without him, the demon Exadius would have killed me. He almost had me but Illidan saved me at the last moment. I'm glad to hear that he survived the encounter with Exadius and that you managed to free him before Maiev could have killed him."

The last time Kelrian had heard Tyrande speaking about Illidan, hatred, scorn and disgust had been clearly hearable in her voice. But this time it was different. There was no hatred, no scorn and no disgust. Tyrande was relieved, her voice was calm and there was a certain look in her eyes. A look Kelrian couldn't identify what it was but he was sure it was something positive.

"Illidan saved my dear wife and I will never forget that. Maiev on the other hand...Disappointed me again..." A sad sigh escaped his lips. "We will make sure that she receives a just punishment. She won't bother Illidan from now on, I guarantee that, captain."

"Your brother will be happy to hear that."

"You are going back to Outland, aren't you?" asked Tyrande.

"We will but not immediately. The creation of the portal exhausted us more than we've expected. We would like to rest for a while if you allow us."

Tyrande looked at her husband, receiving a nod from him. "You can stay the night if you want. We have enough rooms for everyone. You can also join us for dinner. There is enough food for everyone. Be our guests as long as you want."

Kelrian smiled. "We appreciate and accept our offer. Thank you, High Priestess. Thank you, archdruid."

"You are welcome," said Tyrande. "Melysa will guide you to your rooms. We will tell you when dinner is ready."

* * *

Kelrian staggered through the corridor and propped himself against the wall with one arm. He had not expected that the drink Elena had offered him would make him so drunk. He had only drunk two glasses but was already very tipsy. His body was not yet used to the alcoholic drinks the night elves made. His head was hurting a little but other than that he was fine. Nevertheless, he wanted nothing more than going to his room and get some sleep. It was already late, so nothing spoke against it.

Kelrian followed the corridor and only stopped when he heard voices. They were coming out of the room to his left. After listening to them for a few moments, he was sure that these voices belonged to Tyrande and Malfurion. The door to the room was opened a little so that Kelrian was clearly able to understand them.

"I hope you understand that," said Tyrande quietly. Her voice was calm and careful so was Malfurion's. The druid didn't hesitate to reply to her. "I do Tyrande. I'm not mad at you or shocked."

"But you are not happy about it, aren't you?" the priestess asked carefully.

Malfurion was silent for a short moment. "Well, to be honest, I'm not really unhappy. I'm happy as long as you are. You and I... We have loved each other for ten thousand years but we both know that our love for each other is not the same as it once was. We drifted apart...Remember, Tyrande, I will always love you no matter what you do. The truth is, I no longer have the same feelings I had when we came together. I know you feel the same way that's why I won't be mad at you nor will I forbid you to see him and find out what you feel. I know he has always been important to you. You have chosen me over him back then but you still had feelings for him the whole time. At least until he sacrificed our people to fight the Legion. Anyway, I'm not stopping you Tyrande. Keep that in mind."

Nothing came from Tyrande's side for a few minutes but then she finally spoke. "I'm glad you understand me, my dear. I will always cherish the time we spent together, especially our best moments. You are the best husband a woman can have. I love you but..."

"You also love Illidan," completed Malfurion. "And that's okay, my dear."

"We have married each other because of love but I had the impression over the past thousand years that only our duties as rulers kept the bond of marriage together. I'm sure we would have separated hundreds of years agoif we wouldn't have been the leaders of the kaldorei. We've just grown apart. That can happen when a couple is together for so long. It's nothing we have to be ashamed of".

"It's your decision, Tyrande. I want you to be happy. I want you to follow your heart," the druid replied calmly.

"And my heart tells me to meet Illidan and talk to him."

"So be it. I assume you want to join the sin'dorei and go to Outland."

"I will. I have to find out what Illidan is planning now that he allied himself with the naga and the sin'dorei. The demon he once served is probably after him. I need to help him and then he can help us with the Scourge. Illidan is not our enemy. He never was. He was just misunderstood...The whole time."

"He made questionable choices but he did it for Azeroth. Some of his methods might be wrong but at least he does everything for the greater good. He wants to defeat the Legion so do we," replied Malfurion.

"I will inform Shandris about my departure tomorrow. Maybe she wants to come with me."

"Do that, my dear."

Kelrian walked away quickly as he heard that Tyrande was walking towards the door. He felt guilty for eavesdropping them. He hadn't wanted to listen to them but for some reason, he had been unable to go away. His body had acted on its own and forced him to stay and listen.

He had listened to a private conversation that was none of his business. It was none of his business with who the High Priestess would be together. Nonetheless, he knew now that Tyrande had feelings for Illidan and that she wanted to go to Outland.

Kelrian was wondering what will happen once they will meet Illidan. Lady Vashj had promised them a cure for their addiction to magic. She had promised that Illidan would help them. He wondered how this cure would look like. He assumed it had something to do with an alternative source of magic but he was wondering what this source might be. As long as they wouldn't find another fount of magic, he doubted that Illidan had something which would sustain them forever.

But he had no idea what Illidan was capable of and what he knew. Illidan was ten thousand years old and had worked for the Burning Legion for some time. Kelrian didn't doubt that Illidan knew about things Kelrian could never imagine. It was not unlikely that Illidan had found a way to sustain them. He hoped that there was a way to solve their problem.

The thirst for arcane energy became worse with each passing day. He had no idea how long he would hold out before the thirst would consume him and lead him to do something he would regret later. He could only hope that Lady Vashj had spoken the truth because his people needed the cure so desperately.

Kelrian stopped walking after a while and opened the door, stepping in his room. He froze as he realized that the room was not his. It looked similar to his but it was not the room Melysa had shown him. The backpack next to the bed was not his either. It was Elena's but the pink-haired woman was nowhere to be found. Kelrian checked her room quickly, spotting her uniform on her bed. He frowned and walked over to the door on the left side of the room, wondering what was behind it. He didn't hesitate to open it and enter.

He came into a small bathroom. There was a toilet, a washbasin, a mirror, a towel rack and even a shower. There was a person in the shower. A female elf with c-cup breasts, smooth pink skin, a flat but muscular stomach and a thoroughly fit body. It was no other than Elena.

Kelrian couldn't help but stare shamelessly at the pink-haired woman who was soaping her body, her eyes were closed and she was humming a beautiful melody. She was not aware that Kelrian was in the bathroom and watching her. His eyes roamed over her body, rested long on her breasts and her well-formed ass.

He had no idea how much time had passed as Elena finally noticed him. He had expected her to freak out and scream at him but she didn't. She had been shocked at first but had calmed down faster than expected. "Do you like what you are seeing?" she asked eventually, a wide grin appeared on her lips.

Kelrian leaned against the wall and said nothing, his arms were crossed in front of his chest as he regarded her. Elena stepped out of the shower and walked over to him, not caring that she was dripping wet and her entire body was exposed to Kelrian. He could see everything and she didn't mind that. She stopped in front of him and stared into his eyes, taking his hands and putting them on her hips. She pressed her wet body against his and stepped on her tiptoes, pressing her lips on his.

Kelrian didn't hesitate to return it, enjoying her soft and warm lips. The last time he had kissed her, he had not been sure if the kiss had felt right but this time it felt right. He had no idea if it was the alcohol that was making it feel right or if it would also feel right without it but he didn't care.

He just wanted to kiss her and he didn't care that his clothes were getting wet. At this very moment, he wanted nothing more than Elena. He wanted to kiss her, taste her, feel her and so much more. He wanted her and she wanted him. They wanted each other so badly. More than ever.


	34. Trust

Guilt.

He felt guilty. But not because of what he had done. He felt guilty because of what he had thought while he had done it. He had thought of her. Thought of Sylvanas. Living Sylvanas, not the banshee she had been turned into. The Sylvanas he had once loved.

He had thought of her the entire time when he had done it with Elena. He had no idea why this made him feel guilty. He couldn't help it. He would never tell her of course. That would ruin his relationship with her. She would never speak to him again if he would tell her he had not been able to stop thinking about his dead wife when he had slept with her. He had thought he would be over Sylvanas' death but it seemed he wasn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have imagined her.

He wouldn't have imagined her curvaceous D-cup breasts, her well-formed ass, her gorgeous face and so much more. He wouldn't have thought about her perfect body otherwise. He found it a little creepy that he had thought about his dead wife while having sex with another, a living, woman. But he couldn't help it. He had tried to stop thinking about her but it hadn't worked. It was not fair to Elena but there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing. Nothing but accepting it and trying to not think about Sylvanas the next time. If there was a next time.

Kelrian laid on his right side, his eyes rested on the sleeping woman next to him. Her body was pressed against his, one of her arms was wrapped around him. Only half of her nude form was covered by a blanket, the other half was uncovered. Her entire upper body was exposed, her breasts were slightly pressed against his chest.

He regarded her exposed upper body for a few moments before he wriggled himself out of her hug, making sure she didn't wake up in the process. He got up from the bed and went to the mirror, regarding himself in it. His gaze fell on the clock that hung on the wall. It was six o'clock in the morning. Four hours left until they would return to Outland. With Tyrande Whisperwind.

Kelrian went to the bathroom and took a shower, washing away all the lipstick prints Elena had left on his body. She had left them everywhere. He had to admit he was not dissatisfied. It had been a year and a few months since he last had sex. Before everything had gone down the tube, he had made love to Sylvanas at least twice a week. Not having sex for a year was new to him. Even before he had come together with Sylvanas, he had been intimate with a woman at least every two weeks. Finding a horny female woman in a tavern had never been a real challenge for him. There had been lots of women back then who had found him attractive and hadn't said no to a night with him.

But these times were over. He had found true love when he had come together with Sylvanas. Then she died over a year ago and now he was together with Elena. It was not the same as with Sylvanas but it was better than being alone for the rest of his life. He didn't feel guilty that he had slept with her. He felt guilty that he had thought about another woman while sleeping with her. He had begun his relationship with Elena as soon as he had been convinced that he was over Sylvanas' death and ready to move on. It seemed he had been wrong. Nevertheless, he wouldn't push Elena away from him. He would stay by her side and try to make a relationship with her work.

He left the shower eventually and dried his hair. Since it had been cut, it didn't take much time for him to dry it. But he preferred longer hair, so he couldn't wait until it would be longer again. He wrapped a towel around his waist and left the bathroom eventually, noticing that Elena was awake. She was sitting on the bed and her entire body was exposed. Kelrian's eyes wandered from head to toe, examining her beautiful form closely. Elena smirked as she caught him ogling her.

She got up from the bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. She stepped on her tiptoes and kissed his lips softly. "Good morning, my love."

"Good morning, Elena."

She kissed him again and he returned it. "Last night was wonderful."

Kelrian nodded, blushing a little. He still felt ashamed but he didn't show it. He pretended that he was alright and Elena bought that. Elena put her hand on his belly, caressing his muscles. "We have a few hours left, my dear. Do you have any idea what we will do in the meantime?" she asked in a low but erotically sounding voice.

"I'm hungry," Kelrian responded. He was not sure if he wanted to do it again after what had happened last night. He was satisfied for the moment and he feared he would imagine Sylvanas if he would sleep with Elena again. He had to think about everything first before he would get intimate with her again.

"I bet the night elf cooks would prepare something for us if we ask nicely. But what do we do in the meantime...," Elena responded and let her hand wander, reaching a certain spot. An irritated look appeared on her face. She frowned, doubt was visible in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not in the mood, Elena."

"I noticed that but..."

"Not now, Elena. I'm still satisfied from last night."

Elena sighed. "Fine, let's eat something first. Maybe that brightens up your mood.

"Having breakfast sounds fine to me."

* * *

She ran her hand over her smooth skin, although her body was cold she continued. She didn't mind the cold because her body was as cold as the body she was touching. The other woman's red eyes rested on her for a few moments before she rolled out of her reach.

"Why are you pulling away?" the woman asked.

"We are done here," responded Sylvanas.

"I'm not done yet."

"I don't care, Verena."

"You had your fun but what about me?"

"The deal was that you satisfy me not that we satisfying each other. If you want to be satisfied go to anyone else but I doubt they have the same needs as we do," replied the Banshee Queen.

Verena sighed. "Fine, then I have to do it myself."

"Do what you want but don't you dare to touch me unless I ask you. I'm satisfied for the next month," Sylvanas replied and picked up her underwear, putting it on.

"Anyway, I'm glad you came to me."

Sylvanas didn't look at her ex as she put on her chest plate. "I had no other choice than going to you. I may be dead but I still have needs."

"I have the same needs so I understand you, mistress. I just thought you prefer men."

"I do but going to Zetai, Nathanos or any other man wouldn't feel right. It wouldn't be fair to..."

"To _him_?"

Sylvanas didn't respond as she put her leggings on.

"You are dead and he is alive, mistress. If I were you, I would move on and satisfy your needs with anyone you want. Of course, I prefer that you come to me but... As your advisor and your best friend, I would suggest that you do what you want to do without thinking about what _he_ would say. There is no way he would fall in love again with a corpse, no offence. If I were him, I would look out for a living woman and not for a corpse. He is probably already over you. You made him promise you to move on, so I assume he already did that. If I were you, I wouldn't cling to false hopes. What you had with him...died with you. There is no way for you to get back together. That's my personal opinion."

"You are probably right," said Sylvanas quietly. A thoughtful look appeared on her face but Verena couldn't see it because Sylvanas had turned away from her. "He would never want to touch me if he would see what I have become... Nevertheless, it wouldn't feel right to go to Zetai or Nathanos. That's why you are the lucky one who has the honour to satisfy my lower desires."

A grin appeared on the dark ranger's lips. "I would never refuse you."

Sylvanas didn't respond to her. She put her hand on her belly, running her fingers over the ugly scar. It was a constant reminder of Arthas piercing Frostmourne through her body and killing her unborn child that way. It reminded her of what she had lost. One of her children had never seen the daylight and the other was a member of the Scourge. Tortured and twisted by Arthas Menethil and the Cult of the Damned. Only her son was left. Kael'thas had told her that he was alright. At least he made it.

Sylvanas would never admit it but she still cared about her family. About her sisters, her father, her cousins and of course about Raesh and Kelrian. She knew it was very unlikely that she would see them again and spent time with them but she was glad they were alive. She was glad they wouldn't have to suffer the same way she suffered. They hadn't been murdered, mind-controlled and twisted by the Scourge. They had been spared of that horrible fate.

Sylvanas regarded herself in the mirror for a few minutes before she put the rest of her upper body armour on. Her entire upper body was covered by armour so were her legs. Her armour was mostly dark purple, her shoulder plates were decorated by small grey skulls. As usual, most of her pale blonde hair was hidden beneath a dark red hood.

She liked her appearance. She may not be as beautiful as she had been in life but she was still beautiful for an undead. Beautiful but also terrifying if she wanted. Allies and enemies knew it was best to not mess with her. She appeared very dominant and fearsome. She was a strong leader who knew what she wanted. And she usually got what she wanted. She had gotten almost everything she had wanted when she had been alive and her Forsaken knew better than contradicting or disappointing her, so they did everything she wanted from them.

Verena had gotten dressed in the meantime and walked over to the Dark Lady. She wore black leggings, high boots that almost reached to her knees and upper body armour that was also black. It was made out of leather but she wore a thin chain mail beneath it. Her hair was pitch-black and usually hidden beneath her black hood but she didn't wear it at the moment, meaning that her hair was exposed.

Her red eyes fell on Sylvanas. "You can come to me whenever you want, mistress."

"I will consider that. Now go."

Verena did as she was told and left the room a few moments later. Sylvanas regarded herself in the mirror for nearly five minutes before she left her private chamber and followed the course of the corridor until she came into the new throne room. It was not the throne room above the ground where King Terenas Menethil II had been slain by his own son. The new throne room was in the most southern room of Undercity, the city beneath the ruins of Lordaeron.

It held the ancient crypts and catacombs of Lordaeron's royalty as well as the dungeon and sewers of Lordaeron. Now it was the home of the Forsaken who couldn't stand sunlight for too long. Undercity was a good choice as a place to live because no sunlight could get in there. It was a dark place that was mostly illuminated by torches and magic. It was subdivided into four quarters. The War Quarter in the north-west, the Magic Quarter in the north-east, the Apothecarium in the south-west and the Rogues' Quarter in the south-east.

The throne room was heavily guarded by the so-called deathguards, who belonged to the military of Undercity. Her army consisted of nearly two thousand deathguards and hundreds of spellcasters. The army was not large enough for Sylvanas' liking but it was better than nothing. Her men were either stationed in Undercity or roaming around in Lordaeron. They were patrolling and killing any member of the Scourge they could find.

Sylvanas greeted the leader of her army who was standing in front of the entrance. It was a person she had known in life and she still trusted in death. It was her uncle Zelastor. He had been a warrior in life and was so in death. He wore thick armour and a helmet in which his elven ears fit in. He carried a massive shield and a big axe in his hands. He saluted to his niece and queen, bowing to her. "Greetings, Lady Sylvanas."

A barely recognizable smile appeared on her lips. "Greetings, uncle. Did anything happen in my absence?"

"Nothing extraordinary. Some of our people are still waiting for an audience with you and some of our spies returned. Varimathras took over and listened to some inhabitants but there are still so many who are still waiting for someone to listen to them. And then there are those who don't trust the dreadlord and want to discuss their matters with you and not with him."

Sylvanas nodded to him and entered the throne room, spotting Varimathras who was sitting on her throne in the middle of the room. He looked bored while listening to what an undead male was telling him. He got up immediately as he noticed Sylvanas' presence and stepped aside when she approached. "I warmed your throne in the meantime, milady."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in return as she sat down, noticing that the throne was indeed a little warm. She waited until Varimathras had finished his discussion with the male, telling him what to do in his situation. The man thanked him and hurried away, not wanting to bother his queen any longer. Nathanos stood not far away from her and stared at her but didn't say anything.

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras expectantly. "What did our spies saw?"

Varimathras' gaze fell on her. "They told me that they have seen Arthas and his undead setting off by ship. It seems he returns to Northrend for some reason. It is unwise to follow him. The Lich King's main forces are there and outnumber ours heavily. Following them is suicide."

"I know. I'm not dumb."

"I never said that, milady."

"Is there anything else I need to know?" she asked and raised an eyebrow.

"It seems that the Lich King got weaker again."

Sylvanas gave him a curious look. "Are you sure?"

"I am. His controls over the undead weakened again. A group of undead reached Undercity an hour ago. They told me they broke free from the Scourge and want to join us. They are waiting in the courtyard. It is up to you if you allow them to join us."

"Can we be sure that they are really free?" Sylvanas asked. "What if this is one of Arthas' tricks? What if they pretend to be on our side but are still working for the Lich King?"

"We can never be sure of that, on the other hand, we cannot be sure if there are still some among us who are still working for the Scourge and just pretend to be on our side, milady. Everything is possible these days but as long as you don't tell them any important information, I don't see a way how they can betray us. All we can do is to watch over each of them until we can be sure they are on our side."

"Or we let them prove their loyalty."

The demon nodded. "That's another way, milady."

"Do you have any idea what they could do to prove their loyalty?"

"There is a Scourge base near Agamand Mills. Send the warriors among the newcomers and some of your forces to the mills and wipe out the Scourge base. There is one undead half-elf among the newcomers who has a great interest in bringing you the head of the Scourge commander who is in charge of the base."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow, giving the demon a curious look. "Really?"

The nathrezim nodded. "It's your niece. Her name is Lydia, if I remember correctly."

"Lyndia," corrected the queen. "Her name is Lyndia. She is my brother's daughter. I heard her mother is still alive."

"She told me that she has a score to settle with the Scourge commander. She told me his name is Xenarion and that he killed her father and also her."

"Xenarion... Another traitorous elf... He let my brother die and I locked him in prison for that. As far as I know, he joined Arthas voluntarily when he freed him from his prison. I also have a certain interest in seeing him dead. Anyone who supports Arthas must die. Truly die."

"Do you want to speak to them? To those who want to fight for you?"

"How many are they?"

"One hundred and fifty-five. Over a hundred capable warriors."

"I could make use of over a hundred warriors. But I don't need to talk to them. Just bring my niece to me."

"As you wish, milady," replied Varimathras and bowed to her. He waited for her signal and then left the room, returning after fifteen minutes. A young undead woman accompanied him. She had been fourteen years old when she had died. She had medium-long black hair, yellow glowing eyes and light brown skin which was missing at some places. The outfit she wore was similar to the one she had worn the day she died. Dark blue leggings and a leather vest. A bow and a quiver, half full of arrows, hung around her right shoulder. There was also a sword that hung on her belt.

Sylvanas regarded the half-elf for a few moments. "It's good to see you again, Lyndia."

"Same counts for you, aunt."

"It's milady or mistress for you if you want to serve her," hissed Varimathras. Lyndia's gaze fell on the dreadlord. "I didn't speak to you, joke figure."

Varimathras' eyes narrowed and he parted his lips to say something but Sylvanas raised a hand, signalizing him to be quiet. Varimathras turned up his nose but obeyed. It was clearly visible in his green eyes that he was not pleased.

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a smile. "You can call me aunt if you want but only if you are here to serve me."

Lyndia's gaze fell back on Sylvanas. "I am. I want nothing more than the death of the man who did this to us. But I also want to kill the one who let my father die and killed me."

"Xenarion."

Hatred appeared in Lyndia's eyes for a short moment. "Yes, that bastard."

"Arthas made Xenarion pretty powerful and gave him a high rank. It won't be easy to kill him."

"If you give me enough men, I will bring you his head. I promise."

Sylvanas smiled. "I like your attitude and your determination. You remind me of myself."

"Your blood also runs through my veins. I think that's the reason for that similarity. We are related."

"I will allow you to prove your loyalty and those who came with you can do the same. I will give you two hundred of my men. You will attack the Scourge base and burn it and every Scourge minion you find. If you bring me Xenarion's head, I allow you to stay in Undercity permanently."

"Who will be in charge of this mission?" asked the half-elf.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Zetai. The dark ranger noticed her starring and rushed over to her. He bowed to her. "What can I do for you, my queen?"

"Take two hundred men and those warriors who want to join us to Agamand Mills and assault the Scourge base there. Make sure Lyndia brings me Xenarion's head. Don't leave her side and protect her if necessary. Make sure she returns to me in one piece."

"Are you sure we can trust them, my queen?" the dark ranger asked.

"I am. I can sense who is ally and who is foe. Lyndia is no longer under Arthas' control."

"And the rest? What if they attack us suddenly in the middle of the battle?"

"It's a risk I have to take. We need to take more risks if we want to defeat the Scourge. We have to trust them for now and hope for the best. Tell your men to keep an eye on them."

"I will."

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras. "What is your opinion about my idea?"

"We are taking a risk but as you said we have no other choice than taking risks these days. Killing Scourge minions is a good way to prove their loyalty."

Sylvanas looked back at Zetai and Lyndia. "So be it. Move out and bring me Xenarion's head." Zetai bowed to her and left immediately. Lyndia remained there for a few moments, regarding her aunt closely before she turned around and left as well.

* * *

Kelrian and Elena left the building and walked down the stairs. They followed the street and came to a small area where Kelrian's group was waiting. But not only them. There were several night elf archers, warriors and priestesses. As Kelrian had expected, Tyrande was there too and looked determined. A portal had been created not far away from the elves. A portal to Outland.

Kelrian and Elena walked over to the High Priestess and greeted her, lowering their heads in respect. "It surprises me to see you here, High Priestess." It didn't surprise Kelrian at all because he had heard Tyrande's conversation with Malfurion but he pretended to be surprised so that Tyrande believed he hadn't expected her to come.

"I'm going with you to Outland. I need to speak to Illidan and find out what he is planning to do now," Tyrande explained.

"The portal is already open so there is nothing that holds us up. We should go now if you and your people are ready."

Tyrande let her eyes wander over her followers. "They are ready and so am I."

Kelrian smiled. "Let's go then."

Tyrande pointed at the portal. "After you, captain."

Kelrian ordered his group to follow him. He was the first who stepped through the portal, arriving in the same area where they had left the wasteland. He waited until the last kaldorei had stepped through the portal and closed it. His gaze fell on Tyrande and her people who were regarding their surroundings closely. They were surprised how miserable this place was.

"So this is Outland...," Tyrande said quietly.

"It's a miserable place. I have no idea what he is planning nor do I know why he went to this shattered world but I suppose we will find out soon," responded Kelrian.

"We will," said Tyrande. "But first we need to find him. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"No, but she has," replied Kelrian and pointed at Lady Vashj who was approaching them. She stopped not far away from Kelrian and greeted him, then she turned to Tyrande and greeted her too. "It has been a long time since we have last seen each other, Lady Whisperwind."

Tyrande raised an eyebrow, regarding the naga closely. "Who are you? Do I know you?"

Lady Vashj chuckled. "You knew me once, but I looked different then. Very different. I used to be a night elf ten thousand years ago but my close relationship to Queen Azshara made me what I am. I never left her side, not even when everything went down the tube. My loyalty to her was my undoing." She paused for a short moment. "I am Lady Vashj. Maybe you still remember that name, High Priestess."

"Lady Vashj... You were the queen's handmaiden, right?"

The naga nodded. "I was but now I serve Lord Illidan. I hope you come in peace, High Priestess. I won't allow you to take Lord Illidan captive or kill him."

"I have no intention to kill or capture him. I want to speak to him and support him in case he does the right thing."

The naga's gaze fell on Kelrian. "Can we trust her?"

Kelrian nodded. "I trust her. She's an honest person, she wouldn't lie to us."

Lady Vashj's gaze fell on Tyrande. "Very well, High Priestess. Follow us. I will lead you to our base."

They marched for hours through the miserable wasteland and finally came to a base which was surrounded by a wooden wall. The entrance was guarded by half a dozen naga and half a dozen sin'dorei. Fanomar was among the sin'dorei. He nodded to Kelrian, Elena and Tyrande but said nothing to them.

He remained in front of the entrance while Kelrian, Tyrande, Lady Vashj and their groups entered the base. They spotted lots of tents on the left and right sides of the base. The middle section was free of any tents, naga and sin'dorei stood there. They talked or did other things. Some of them even trained.

Kelrian saw a few of his brethren holding green glowing crystals in their hands. It seemed as if they were drawing power from them. He didn't know anything about these crystals but he had the impression that these crystals stored lots of energies which his people desperately needed. The king was near them and it seemed that he was teaching some blood elves how to drain power from these crystals.

They came to the elven king and greeted him properly. A smile appeared on Kael'thas' lips. "You are back and you even brought a special guest with you." Kael'thas took Tyrande's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. "It's good to see you again, Tyrande. It has been a long time since I saw you last."

Tyrande chuckled. "It's good to see you too, Kael. I heard you are working for Illidan now."

"We are. Lord Illidan promised us to show us how we can satisfy our hunger."

"How?" asked Kelrian curiously.

Kael'thas pointed at one of these crystals. "There are many of them on Outland. We even found a mine not far away from us but it is guarded by demons and orcs. Lord Illidan promised that we will claim the mine for us soon. Each of these crystals contains an abnormally large amount of energy. One crystal is enough to sustain one of us for an entire week."

Kael'thas handed a crystal to Kelrian who examined it closely. What the king had said was true. There was an enormous amount of energy stored in the crystal but it felt different to the arcane energy which had been stored in the artefacts they had collected in Lordaeron. The energy felt more powerful. Kelrian's desire to absorb the energy was strong. He wanted nothing more than to consume the stored energy to feel better but he didn't do it. He didn't give in and handed it over to Elena who regarded it for a few moments before she gave it to Tyrande.

A thoughtful look could be seen on the priestess' face. "I don't know why, but something feels strange. This crystal... Something's not quite right..."

"Lord Illidan assured me that there is nothing wrong with these crystals. He told us to consume the stored power to satisfy our hunger."

Tyrande hesitated for a few seconds but then she nodded. "I have to talk to him anyway so I can find out more about these crystals. I saw what the lack of arcane energy did to your people, so I guess you have no other choice than consuming the energies stored in them."

"You are right about that," responded Kael'thas. "We have no other choice."

"I will go to Illidan now. My people will remain here in the meantime."

Kael'thas pointed at the biggest tent which stood far away from the others. "He is right there."

Tyrande nodded and walked away. Kelrian watched her for a few moments before he looked at his group who were examining the crystal Tyrande had given them. He averted his gaze and looked at his king and mentor, noticing that he looked much better than the last time he had seen him. "You look a lot better, my king. So do our brethren." He pointed on those around him who drained energies from crystals or trained with other blood elves or naga.

"The energies stored in the crystals are responsible for my excellent condition. Try it, Kelrian. I bet it has been a long time since you absorbed enough energy."

"Are you sure I should do that, my king?" Kelrian asked insecurely.

The king nodded, a self-confident look could be seen on his face. "I am." Kael'thas looked at Kelrian's group pointed at a container full of these green crystals. "My brethren, take one of these crystals and drain their energy. It's the same as draining the energy out of amulets or other items that store energies. You don't need to worry, Lord Illidan promised us that these crystals will help us."

Like the other members of his group, Kelrian took one of these crystals and absorbed the stored energy, feeling a lot better when he was done. He felt much better than he usually felt when he absorbed arcane energy. He had the impression that a different form of energy was stored in the crystals. It was not arcane. It was better. Much better. He had no idea what it was but he didn't care. He didn't care as long as it sustained him.

"This is great," said Elena. "I feel like I could crush mountains with my bare hands."

Kael'thas smiled. "Don't get cocky, Elena. We are not immortal nor are we undefeatable."

"I know but still. It feels so great. The past year has been really hard...We went through a lot but now it feels as if a weight has been taken off my shoulders. I'm glad we no longer have to feel as miserable as we had felt in the past year.

"I'm happy to hear that," said the king. "It means a lot to me that my people no longer have to suffer because of the lack of these necessary energies. It means I haven't completely failed as king."

Kelrian stared into his mentor's eyes. "You are not failing us, my king. You do everything in your power to find a solution for our addiction to magic. You do everything in your power to sustain us and make us stronger than ever so that we can reconquer our lost territories and avenge the fallen. You are the king our people need in these dark times. There could be no better king for us."

Kael'thas smiled. "Thanks, Kelrian. Your words mean a lot to me."

"It's the truth."

"Would you walk with me a little? I need to tell you something... Something I wanted to tell you for quite some time but I never found the right moment to do that."

Kelrian tilted his head, giving the king a curious look. "I will follow you, my king."

"Let's go somewhere we can be alone," said the king and started walking, looking back at Kelrian to make sure he was following him. He was.


	35. Truth

Tyrande was breathing heavily. She was exhausted. She had done something she had not expected to do. Not so early at least. Months ago, she had never expected to do this with him. But it still had happened. She had just wanted to talk. They had talked but then everything had gotten out of hand. It had happened so fast.

It had been good at least. She had no idea if she should regret it or not. She had just wanted to talk to Illidan and find out if she had romantical feelings for him. She knew he loved her but she still had no idea if she felt the same way. She was still uncertain about her feelings.

"I didn't expect this," said Illidan and sat up, looking at her. "It was surprising enough that you came to Outland to see me and talk to me. And now this... I mean, I don't mind of course. You know for ten thousand years that I love you. I never stopped loving you, Tyrande. I hope you know that." Illidan put a hand on her bare right shoulder, squeezing it gently.

Tyrande turned her head and looked at Illidan, examining his handsome facial features. She stared into his green glowing eyes which had once been amber before the titan Sargeras had burned them out. "I know Illidan. Despite what just happened I still don't know how I feel about you. I need to spend more time with you. As I already said, I feel something for you and I doubt it's just friendship. I'm certain it's more than that. I have to find out what I feel exactly."

"You were the one who initiated the kiss, so it can't be just friendship," Illidan said and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it. Tyrande allowed him to touch her face and even to run his other hand down her exposed back. Months ago, she would have never allowed him to touch her. She would have never kissed him and never allowed him to kiss her. She had despised him. But these days, she no longer despised him. She no longer hated him. Looking at him no longer filled her with anger.

At this moment, looking at him calmed her down and comforted her. She no longer regarded him as the twisted demon he was. For her, he was a night elf who chose a darker path for the greater good. He was a determined leader who would do anything to protect Azeroth. He had dedicated his life to destroy the Burning Legion and he had found hundreds of creatures who wanted to do the same. He was not the bad person she had always thought he was. Deep down, he was a good man. He just didn't show it, at least when others were around. Only when she was alone with him, she could see that he was not a bad person. He was not a villain. His methods might be questionable but he was not evil. He was just misunderstood.

Tyrande said nothing as Illidan's hand wandered to her butt cheeks and squeezed them. He was only able to see her outlines due to his spectral sight. He couldn't see the details of her gorgeous face but he still remembered how beautiful she had looked like in her youth. He always imagined how she had looked like back then when he looked at her. He couldn't know that she had become much prettier over the past ten thousand years.

He could see the outlines of her breasts which had always been a feast to his eyes before he had lost his normal sight. He was sure they were larger than the last time he had truly seen them. At least they had felt pretty large when he had touched them not so long ago.

"And Malfurion is okay with this?" Illidan asked after a while. Tyrande noticed the insecurity in his voice. She put a hand on his cheek and caressed it, smiling at him. "He is. Our love for each other has changed over the years. We still love each other but not in the same way we did ten thousand years ago. We are still fond of each other but in the past hundred years, we have behaved more like good friends than lovers. We only stayed together for the public eye."

"I have always been envious of him. He had always been better at everything. He was Cenarius' favourite and yours too. It pained me back then when you chose him over me. It broke my heart but I accepted your decision. Now, I'm just relieved you do feel something for me."

"As I said, I'm not sure if it's love or..." She blushed and paused for a few moments. She cleared her throat and continued. "Or sexual desire..."

Illidan chuckled. "I would be fine with both results. Just you know."

Tyrande nodded and stared at her smooth exposed legs for a few minutes before she looked up again. "What are you going to do on Outland?"

"There is a demon with the name Magtheridon who rules over Outland. We need to take him down. I'm sure we will defeat him with your support, the support of the naga and of the blood elves. We will claim Outland as ours and close every of the Legion's dimensional gates. There are four gates scattered all over Outland. Orcs are coming through them every day. Too many orcs. They are serving the Legion and we need to deal with them too."

"What about the Scourge on Azeroth?" Tyrande asked.

"We will deal with them as soon as we control Outland. I promise that I will help you dealing with the undead that are trying to take over Azeroth. I didn't fight the Legion for thousands of years to allow these wretched creatures to take our home. Azeroth must be saved by every means."

"I agree with you, Illidan," Tyrande said and kissed his cheek. "We should go back to the others. In their eyes, we are still talking for hours. I don't want them to come to any wrong conclusions."

"But the conclusion to which they might come wouldn't be wrong then, Tyrande."

"I know, Illidan, but... You know what I mean. I don't want them to think that about us. I want to keep what we just did a secret. Nobody needs to know that we had sex."

"You're right, Tyrande."

The high priestess didn't say anything in return. She got up from Illidan's bed and walked over to the armchair on which her clothes laid. She put on her underwear, not minding that Illidan's gaze still rested on her. She put on her armour and picked up Illidan's underwear and his brown pair of trousers, throwing them at him. The half-demon caught them and got dressed, getting up from his bed.

"Do you have a mirror?"

Illidan shook his head. "No. I can't see my reflection in a mirror so I don't have one."

Tyrande ran her fingers through her hair, trying to fix it without being able to see herself. "Let's hope that's good enough," she muttered.

"I will ask one of my naga to bring you a hand mirror, then I will go to Kael'thas and his brethren. Join me once you are ready."

Tyrande walked to Illidan and stepped on her tiptoes, putting a quick kiss on his lips. "See you later," she said.

Illidan gave her a smile and walked out of the tent a few seconds later.

* * *

_I am your father._

_I_

_am_

_your_

_father_

These four words echoed through Kelrian's mind. They didn't want to leave his head since Kael'thas had said them. Kelrian couldn't believe it but he saw no reason why the king would lie to him. Kael'thas was an honest person. He was his king, his mentor and the person he trusted the most. He was his role model. He was the man he looked up to. There was no reason to not believe him.

If he was honest with himself, he was glad that Kael'thas was his father. He knew for seventeen years that Xenarion was not his father but he hadn't known who his real father was. He hadn't known it until this day. Kelrian had no idea what to make of it. Numerous thoughts crossed his mind. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. So many questions he wanted answers to.

He was wondering since when Kael'thas knew it. He wanted to know why his mother and Kael'thas had kept it secret. He was wondering what kind of a relationship they had. He was asking himself if they had a one-night-stand or if they were having an affair. Why had his mother never told him anything? Had she done it to protect him? Or had she done it to protect herself?

Questions over questions.

"Take your time," said Kael'thas. His voice was warm and soft, his facial expression reflected comfort and understanding. "I know it's too much for the moment, so take all the time you need before you answer."

"I'm not confused or overtaxed. It's just... I have so many questions..."

Kael'thas smiled. "You can ask me anything."

Kelrian took a deep breath, ordering his thoughts. "You and my mother..." He didn't speak any further.

"We loved each other. It was not a one-night-stand. We had an affair. A secret relationship."

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise. "For how long?"

"Nearly two hundred years," the king replied.

Kelrian was surprised but silent.

"We agreed to keep it secret and we agreed that we are allowed to date others. We had an open relationship," Kael'thas explained.

"Did you love her?" Kelrian asked, looking at his fingers.

"I did. I loved her the same way I loved Alina. I loved both of them but I couldn't choose between them, so I kept our affair secret."

"Your wife didn't know this, did she?"

Kael'thas shook his head. "No, but she had also an affair with someone else so it was fine. I found it out but I never approached her about it. Especially because it was a woman and not a man but even if it would have been a man, I wouldn't have cared."

"May I know who that woman was?"

"Why do you want to know?" Kael'thas asked amused.

Kelrian looked up at him and blushed. "I have no idea. I mean it's none of my business who sleeps with who but I'm still curious. Especially if it involved two women."

Kael'thas grinned. "My son is a little pervert, I see. I can't hold that against you. Seeing two women kissing each other... There is nothing better than that..." He cleared his throat, his face became serious again. "It was my step-mother."

"We are a strange family," commented Kelrian.

"A strange but also a special family. Sunsinger, Sunstrider, Windrunner. All these popular families are connected through your children. Your children have the gens of all three families. They will be pretty powerful if they train hard."

"Raesh will be pretty powerful. I haven't heard of Sylvera since the fall of Quel'Danas. I doubt she made it..." Sadness was reflected by Kelrian's face. It was not easy but he was able to hold tears back. He looked at Kael'thas, noticing that he looked conflicted. Something must be going through his mind. It was not unlikely that he was considering if he should say or do something. But Kelrian didn't want to force him to say or do anything. He waited patiently until Kael'thas relaxed and looked less conflicted.

"We lost so many people who are important to us... So many innocent people died because of one man... All we can do is to canalize our anger and strike at the man responsible for everything," spoke Kael'thas.

"You are right, my king...Dad..."

"You can call me however you want. It's up to you. You can keep everything secret or you just tell your family that you are my son. It's up to you. It's up to you if you want to make it official or not. I doubt there are any negative aspects. Being the son of the king is never a bad thing but it brings lots of responsibilities with it. Keep that in mind, my son."

Kelrian nodded and was silent for a few minutes. "Arthas will pay for his crimes," he said eventually.

His father agreed. "We will meet him one day and then we will kill him."

Kelrian nodded again.

"Do you have any other questions?"

Kelrian thought about it. "Well... Did you know how badly Xenarion treated my mother?"

Kael'thas shook his head, pity and sadness could be seen in his eyes. "Your mother never told me that Xenarion was an abusive bastard. She never told me how he treated her. I would have helped her but I didn't know anything about her life in Xenarion's household. I never got the impression that she was abused. If she would have said something, I would have made sure that this bastard would have never touched her again."

"My mother told me she was too afraid of Xenarion. That was the reason she never said anything. I didn't notice that he was abusing her. Xenarion always pretended to be the loving and caring husband when I was around. In truth, he was the entire opposite."

Kael'thas was silent for a while but then he finally spoke. "I loved your mother, I really did. I loved her smile, her soft nature, I loved every aspect of her." A sad sigh escaped his lips. "We haven't heard of her since the fall of Silvermoon... I doubt she made it..." Sadness and grief were reflected in his eyes. Kelrian understood perfectly how he must feel. Like him, Kael'thas lost his wife, but not only that. He also lost the other woman he loved the same way as his wife.

Kael'thas had lost the two women he had loved more than anyone else. He had also lost his father and his mother-in-law. He had lost his real mother centuries ago. Kelrian realized that he was the only family member Kael'thas had left. He and Raesh. The rest of Kael'thas' family was either dead or presumed to be dead.

"All we can do is to honour and avenge the ones we lost. Arthas Menethil and Kel'Thuzad have to die so that the fallen can finally find peace," said Kael'thas.

"At least destiny is just to those who deserve it. Evil creatures like Zul'jin and Orgrim Doomhammer got what they deserve. They're dead and Arthas will be dead too, sooner or later.

Kael'thas was about to say something as he saw Elena walking over to them. She stopped in front of them and looked at them expectantly. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant Bloodvein?"

"Lord Illidan wants to see you. Both of you."

Kael'thas looked at Kelrian. "Let's go then. We don't want to keep our new master waiting any longer than necessary."

Together they walked back to the middle of the base. A tent, that was only a little smaller than Illidan's, had just been erected there. Elena signalized them to go into the tent and they did that without hesitation. In the middle of the tent was a large table on which a map was spread out. Illidan and Lady Vashj stood on the left side of the table while Tyrande stood opposite to them. Kelrian walked to Tyrande while Kael'thas chose to stand next to Lady Vashj who gave him a small smile.

Lady Vashj pointed at a spot on the map. "Our base is here." She moved her finger a little to the left. "There is a mine controlled by Magtheridon. His minions mine these felstones there. It's a very important source of power for his minions and we can make it to our own. We will hit him hard and guarantee a constant supply of these felstones if we manage to conquer it."

"That sounds good," commented Kael'thas.

Illidan nodded. "There are also dimensional gates scattered all over Outland. Orcs come through them every day to serve Magtheridon. We have to close all four of them if we want to defeat Magtheridon and claim Outland as ours."

"How do we do that?" asked Kelrian.

"I can close them. You just have to protect me and buy me as much time as necessary."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"We will move out tonight." His gaze fell on Tyrande. "It's up to you if you want to join us, stay here or return to Azeroth."

Tyrande didn't need to think about it twice. "I will come with you," she responded immediately.

The corners of Illidan's lips formed a smile. "Good."

* * *

Sylvanas was lazily sitting on her throne, one of her legs was crossed over the other and she propped her head on her fist. There was not much to do on this day. For a few hours, she had listened to some of her people and helped them whenever she could. Now, around midday, no citizen of Undercity was in the throne room. Only the guards, her bodyguards and Varimathras were in the room.

Normally at this time, Sylvanas had all hands full but not on this day. She finally had some free time but she had no idea what she should do. When she had been alive, she had spent most of her free time with her family. But she was no longer alive and she had no longer contact with her family. She had no intention to spent time with her uncle and Lyndia was not in Undercity. She had left Undercity three weeks ago to join the attack on the Scourge base near Agamand Mills. Sylvanas had no idea when she would return. If she would return.

One of her children was still a member of the Scourge and the other one was at least still alive. She knew he lived with his aunts while his father was somewhere with the king and the others who had been captured by Garithos. She was wondering what they were doing. She was wondering what Alleria, Vereesa and their children were doing. She hoped they were alright and had gotten over her death somehow.

She was wondering where Kael'thas had led Kelrian and the other sin'dorei. She was wondering how he was doing. In the past weeks, she had often caught herself thinking about him. She had remembered the good moments they had shared. The memory of her family, especially of Kelrian, helped her to survive the curse she called life. Knowing that he was still alive gave her strength but on the other hand, she felt sad. If he would have died and would have been raised too, they could have been together these days. They wouldn't be separated.

But he didn't die and she was glad about that. She didn't want him to suffer the same way she was suffering. She was glad that he didn't have to go through what she went through. She was glad he was spared from that horrible fate. He had not been forced to serve Arthas Menethil. He had not been forced to kill his own mother. He had not been forced to kill many of his people, his rangers, his friends or members of his family. He had not been turned into a killing machine and she was glad about that.

She was wondering if she would ever see him again. When she had broken free from the Scourge, she had decided that she didn't want him to see her like this. She had decided that she didn't want him to see what she had become. Her opinion had changed in the past weeks.

At first, she had been glad that Kelrian had already gone through the portal when she had met Kael'thas. But now, she was unhappy that she hadn't been able to see him. She wished she could have seen him. But now it was too late. He went somewhere and she had no idea when he will return. She couldn't even know if he would return. There was no guarantee that he would survive whatever Kael'thas and the naga were doing. Everything was possible in these dark times.

She had never imagined that Arthas would betray everyone and almost extinguish two kingdoms. She had never imagined that her brother would die because of the betrayal of one of her people. She had never thought it possible that Dar'Khan Drathir would betray their people to gain power.

So many unlikely things had happened in the past. The enslavement of the Red Dragonflight by the orcs, Doomhammer's escape out of the dungeon of Lordaeron, Zul'jin's escape during the Second War and the corruption of Arthas Menethil were only a few examples. There was much more no one had ever expected to happen.

She would have never imagined that the sin'dorei would ally themselves with the naga. She had also heard rumours about an alliance between the blood elves and the night elves but she had no proves for that.

Sylvanas was brought out of her thoughts by Varimathras who cleared his throat for the fifth time. "Milady? Are you there?"

Sylvanas sat upright and turned her head, looking at him. "What is it?"

"Zetai and your niece returned."

Sylvanas looked around. "Where are they?"

"They are waiting outside the throne room," responded the demon.

"Tell them to come in."

Varimathras gave the guards a signal. A few moments later, Zetai and Lyndia entered the room. The half-elf carried ablood-soaked sack in her hands. They came to the throne and bowed in front of her. "Greetings, Lady Sylvanas," they said in unison.

A pleased smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "You are allowed to get up."

They stood up.

"What's in the sack?"

Lyndia handed it over to her. "Find it out yourself, aunt."

Sylvanas took it and opened it a little, spotting a tuft of grey hair. She opened the sack further, spotting a head. She pulled the head out, a satisfied smile appeared on her lips as she recognized the familiar face.

The head was Xenarion's. His ice-blue eyes were widened in fear, his mouth was wide open as if he had screamed loudly before his head had been chopped off. His skin was white as chalk. Death didn't do him any favour. He had been handsome in life but he had become ugly in death.

A sadistic smile could be seen on Sylvanas' lips as she regarded the head. She was happy that the traitor had finally gotten what he deserved. He had betrayed her former people two times. He had told the orcish Horde to attack Windrunner Village and Windrunner Spire, then he had let her brother die. That had been his first betrayal. He had betrayed his people again when he had voluntarily joined Arthas and his undead army. Sylvanas wished she could have killed him herself but to know that Lyndia had killed him was satisfying enough. Xenarion was responsible for the deaths of Lyndia and her father Lirath. Lyndia had had every right to kill him. She had avenged her father.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Zetai. "How was she?"

"She fought well. Her combat skills are impressive. Her movements were smoother than those of most of our soldiers and she was almost as fast as a dark ranger. Her fighting style reminded me of yours and Kelrian's. It was a combination of both styles basically. She killed dozens of Scourge members with her arrows and her swords."

Sylvanas' gaze fell on her niece who gave her an expecting look. "Seems years of training under my guidance have paid off."

Lyndia didn't respond verbally. She just nodded at her aunt and continued to regard her.

"Did you kill him alone or did someone help you?"

"I killed him alone. He was pretty strong but I tricked him and beheaded him before he could have cast more wicked spells."

"Well done." Sylvanas' gaze fell on Zetai. "How many soldiers did we lose?"

"Twelve of the two hundred men you gave me and thirty-four of the nearly one hundred newcomers. We killed four hundred Scourge minions during the assault. Fire consumed the base and the bodies of the fallen."

"What about Xenarion's corpse?"

"I defiled it before a mage burned it," said Lyndia.

"Defiled? How?"

"I cut it in little pieces with my sword."

Sylvanas chuckled. "He deserved that. Anyway, you earned my trust, Lyndia. Congratulations."

Lyndia bowed to her. "I swear to serve you loyally and do anything you want from me. I promise you that I will never disappoint you, aunt."

Sylvanas smiled. "Good."

"Do you have a new task for me, aunt?"

Sylvanas thought about it for a moment. "I have one but I want to ask you something first before I tell you what I want you to do."

"Okay. Go ahead."

"Have you heard anything from your cousin?"

"I think she went with Arthas to Northrend. She is still under his control."

Sylvanas sighed. "Damn. Seems we won't manage to free her any soon."

"One day, we will free her from his control."

"I hope so."

"Have you heard anything from my mother?" Lyndia asked.

Sylvanas shook her head. "I know she survived but that's it."

"Damn."

"About your new task..."

"I'm listening, aunt."

"I want you to bring Xenarion's head and this letter to Silvermoon. I will send a raven to Silvermoon and inform them about your arrival."

"I doubt they allow me to enter the city," responded Lyndia.

"You don't have to enter it. Just give it to a soldier and tell him to bring it to the king or to any other high ranked member."

"What's in the letter?"

"That's none of your business," hissed Varimathras.

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras, signalizing to be quiet. She looked back at Lyndia who was giving her an expecting look. "King Kael'thas told me that he is looking forward to fighting with us against the Scourge. I have to find out if he still wants to do that. There are still too many Scourge minions in Tirisfal Glades, in the Plaguelands and in Quel'Thalas. We could get rid of them together. If the sin'dorei join us, so will the naga.

The night elves and the sin'dorei also fought together against the undead. They might want to work with us too but I'm not sure about that. We shall see. We need more allies in these dark times. I don't want to ask the Horde to ally with us. I have not forgotten what the orcs and trolls did to our people during the Second War.

Your father died from wounds inflicted on him by an orc. I would spit on his memory if I ally myself with those who inflicted so much pain to our family and to our people. I hope the sin'dorei and the night elves are reasonable and recognize that we are not their enemies. I only write to the Horde if we have no other option. We cannot win against the Lich King without allies. I hope you understand that."

Lyndia nodded. "I don't like the idea of allying ourselves with these green monsters."

Sylvanas smirked. "Neither do I." She paused for a few moments. "Go now, Lyndia. Hand over the head as a gift to the sin'dorei. Tell them that we are no longer on the side of the Scourge and that we want to get rid of them. Tell them to regard the gift as a sign of trust."

Lyndia took the head and put it back in the sack, then she took the enclosed envelope out of the Banshee Queen's hands. "I will not disappoint you, aunt."

"Safe travels, Lyndia."


	36. Delivery

"What is this Scourge whore doing here?" shouted a voice.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her!" hissed another voice.

"But she carries a white flag," protested a third voice.

"This is a trick. I assume that more of them are somewhere out there and waiting for her signal to attack us. We should kill her as long as we have the chance," responded the first voice.

"But that wouldn't be right. It's wrong to attack anyone with a white flag."

"She may have a white flag but look at this sack. It's soaked in blood. I'm sure that a separated head is in there," said the second voice.

"It's the head of the betrayer Xenarion Sunsinger, you idiot," Lyndia responded and opened the sack, showing them the head. The eyes of the three Silvermoon Guards widened. The head had been preserved by magic so that it wouldn't rot and decay. That way, the sin'dorei were still able to recognize it even though Lyndia had needed several weeks to reach Silvermoon City.

"I slew him myself. I am Lyndia Windrunner, daughter of Lirath Windrunner and Camillia Cambers. Alleria Windrunner is my aunt and I demand to see her. I have a letter from the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner. I have to hand this letter over to the king or any other high-ranked member."

The first guard, a male with long auburn hair, regarded the envelope in her hands, noticing the unfamiliar seal. "We can't allow you to enter Silvermoon. Not after what happened over a year ago."

"I understand that. That's why I want you to take this letter to the king."

"The King is not in Quel'Thalas."

"Then to my aunt. I heard she is in charge of Quel'Thalas in the king's absence."

The guards looked at each other, questioning expressions could be seen on their faces. They had no idea what they should do in this situation. None of them had expected that to happen. Each of them was silent and just stared at the others, hoping they would say something. None of them said a word.

Lyndia tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you doing something or are you just hoping that I vanish after some time if you keep standing there and do nothing? I'm not an illusion. I am a real person. I may be undead but I'm still real. And I'm not your enemy nor are the Forsaken. We want to defeat the Scourge too. Just so you know."

The third guard was about to say something as someone came in his sight. A familiar person. He made a few steps backwards and lowered his head in respect. The two other guards did the same. "Greetings, Regent-Lady."

"Greetings soldiers," Alleria said and came to them. Her gaze fell on the undead creature in front of the gate. Her blue eyes widened as she recognized the familiar facial features. Alleria had been told by Kelrian that Lyndia had been killed and raised by Xenarion. She knew about her fate but she was still shocked when she saw her. She couldn't believe she was real, even though she knew she was. Alleria was stunned for a few moments and said nothing.

Lyndia regarded her from head to toe in the meantime. Despite being the Regent-Lady of Quel'Thalas, Alleria didn't wear any traditional armour. Instead, she wore a golden and red version of her uniform. Her golden hair was mostly hidden beneath her red hood. "It has been a long time, aunt."

"Lyndia... Is it really you?"

The half-elf nodded. "I was raised by the Scourge but I broke free like thousands of others. I am a Forsaken now, an undead creature with a free will who serves the Banshee Queen voluntarily."

"You serve Sylvanas."

"Exactly."

Alleria's eyes were still widened. "I heard rumours about her but I didn't believe them to be true until I received a letter from the king in which he told me that the rumours about my dear sister are true. Is she... Is she alright?"

"Well... She is undead and it's impossible to imagine how she must feel. She wants Arthas dead more than anything else but she has not enough men to pose a threat to him. That's why she sent me to deliver you a letter along with a gift."

"A gift?" Alleria asked carefully.

Lyndia pointed at the head. "That's the head of Xenarion Sunsinger, one of the two traitors who betrayed our people. I slew him myself and took vengeance for my father's death. And my death."

Lyndia could see in Alleria's eyes that she was happy that the traitor was dead. Lyndia's and her father's death had hit Alleria hard. It comforted her to know that their murderer was dead. Xenarion's death wouldn't undo the events of the past but it was enough to make Alleria believe that justice still existed in this cruel world. Xenarion received his just punishment. He got what he deserved.

"Only Dar'Khan Drathir remains. And Arthas of course. Lady Sylvanas told me to hand over his head to you to prove you that we are no longer a part of the Scourge. We wiped out the Scourge base near Agamand Mills and slew Xenarion who was in charge of the base. We killed and burnt every Scourge minion we found.

We are on the same side, aunt. We want to destroy the Scourge as badly as you do. There are so many of them still in Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. Lady Sylvanas wants to work together with the sin'dorei to get rid of them."

Alleria was silent, thinking about what the half-breed had just said. "King Kael'thas Sunstrider wrote to me that he doesn't see Sylvanas as an enemy. He met her in the dungeon of Dalaran and talked to her. He wrote that she came to save him and those who followed him after she found out that the human Garithos wanted to execute them. The king is convinced that she is on our side. What concerns me is that she allows a demon to serve her. How can I be sure that this demon is not controlling her?"

"The demon wants to destroy the Scourge too. Also, I doubt he controls her. Lady Sylvanas is way too powerful. The demon's power is nothing compared to hers. There is no way that he can control or influence her."

Alleria was silent again, a thoughtful look appeared on her beautiful face. "I need to meet her. I need to see her with my own eyes and speak to her. I need to get known to her before I form an alliance with her and her Forsaken. I need to speak to Vereesa and then I will make a decision. I will send a messenger to Lordaeron as soon as I made a decision."

Lyndia handed the envelope and the head to her aunt. "I will tell Lady Sylvanas what you just said."

"Do that."

Lyndia turned around and was about to walk away as Alleria grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Her skin was cold as ice but Alleria didn't let her go. She held her wrist until Lyndia turned her head and gave her a curious look. "Don't go. Not yet," the older woman said.

Lyndia raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, aunt? There is nothing else I have to say. I delivered the message so I will no longer be needed here."

"I wanted to talk to you a little longer," said Alleria and looked at the guards who nodded at her and walked away quickly.

Lyndia gave her an irritated look. "Talk? I don't have time for that. The Scourge needs to be destroyed and there is so much to do to achieve that goal."

Alleria sighed. "I know but we won't destroy the Scourge in days, weeks or months. The Scourge won't be defeated so easily and forcing victory is not a good idea. We have to keep our heads cool. Rushing things won't make our situation better. Staying a bit longer won't change much."

"Fine, I'm listening. What do you have to say?"

"How...How are you doing? After everything that happened to you..."

"It's hard to say. Most of the times, I feel angry. I often want to take out my anger on someone. At the best on a member of the Scourge. I let my anger out on Xenarion but even after his death I still feel angry. Angry and lost.

My family... Our family has been split because of that bastard Arthas. Aunt Sylvanas, grand uncle Zelastor and I are in Lordaeron, in Undercity to be exact. You, aunt Vereesa, your children, Rhonin and Raesh are in Quel'Thalas. Sylvera is still a member of the Scourge and forced to serve that bastard. We have no idea where Kelrian and those who accompany your king went. Our once glorious family is split. The bonds have been destroyed..."

"But they can be knotted together again," said Alleria and gave her a small, barely recognizable smile. Kael'thas had written about Sylvera's fate so Alleria was not surprised by what Lyndia had told her about her niece. Nevertheless, she still felt sad when thinking about her niece. She didn't deserve to die. Nobody who died since the invasion deserved their horrible fate. Nobody except for Xenarion.

"Maybe. It's not impossible but do you seriously want to hang out with a corpse?"

"Undead or not, Sylvanas is still my sister and will always be. You are still my niece, nothing can change that."

"Arthas made sure that only a small part of the Sylvanas you have once known remains in the creature she became. She changed and so did I."

"I noticed that. You are a different person but you are not my enemy and I doubt Sylvanas is. She is the enemy of my enemy, so she can be my ally, right?"

"It's possible."

Alleria was silent for nearly two minutes but then she spoke again. "Should I tell your mother about your appearance here in front of the gates of Silvermoon?"

Lyndia shrugged. "You can but I doubt she wants to see me."

"You can't know that."

Lyndia shrugged again. "You can tell her but I don't expect anything."

Alleria sighed. "Can you wait for another hour before you go?"

Lyndia frowned. "Why?"

"I'm not sure if I will see Sylvanas so soon but I want that you give her something that belongs to her... To her husband in this case... She deserves to get it back."

"Fine, I will wait."

Alleria smiled. "I will return as soon as I can."

Lyndia nodded and watched her running away. She waited in front of the gates, thinking about the conversation she just had with her aunt. Alleria returned an hour later with a small black box in her hand. She handed it over to Lyndia who opened it, her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the object in the box.

"We found it on the battlefield where she died. It's very likely that Arthas removed it from her body and threw it to the ground."

"I will give it to her. Promised."

Alleria smiled again. "Thank you. I'm sure she will be grateful."

The half-elf nodded. "I need to go now. May we meet again."

"May we meet again. It's good to know that you are no longer forced to serve the Scourge."

Lyndia didn't respond to her. She stared into Alleria's eyes for a few moments before she walked over to her undead horse and climbed on top of it. She gave her aunt one last look before she spurred the skeletal horse and made it move.

* * *

The last demon fell. The last demon who had been in the mine. The mine was theirs. There were lots of carts filled with felstones which will provide the blood elves with fel energy for a few months at least. If they needed more, they could mine for more crystals.

They brought the carts to their base, putting the felstones in the provisional warehouse. They returned with more men and materials to the mine. They built a wall and two towers around the entrance, putting archers and mages on top of it. Naga and sin'dorei went in the mine and started mining for these green crystals. Enough men were ordered to stay to defend the mine and protect the miners in case that the orcs or demons would try to reconquer it.

Illidan, Kael'thas, Lady Vashj, Tyrande, Kelrian, Elena and over two hundred naga and sin'dorei moved to the north, arriving at one of the dimensional gates through which lots of orcs were coming every day. It was one of the four gates they had to close by any means. It was heavily guarded by dozens of fel orcs and demons. Wrathguards, felhounds and even infernals were there.

"Stay away from the infernals, I will take care of them. Just keep their mages and warlocks busy. As long as they don't attack me, I can take care of the powerful demons," said Illidan.

"We will do everything in our power to kill them and keep them busy," replied Kelrian.

"As soon as the majority of the orcs and demons are gone, Vashj, Kael'thas and I will close the gate while the rest will hold the demons and orcs away from us. It is possible that more orcs come through the gate while we fight. Be aware of this possibility."

Illidan's followers nodded. The half-demon looked at Tyrande who had a determined expression on her face. She gave him a small smile and he returned it. "Is everyone ready?" he asked.

His followers nodded and even told him verbally that they were ready. Illidan smirked. "Alright, then. Let the battle begin."

The first spells flew throw the air and hit orcs and demons. More than a dozen of them were dead before they were aware of the attackers. Loud battle cries escaped the orcs' lips as they sprinted towards the nearest naga, sin'dorei and kaldorei. They were much larger, more muscular and much faster than the orcs the Alliance had fought in the Second War. Their skin was red and their eyes were blood red. They looked like monsters. Brutal, merciless monsters. They were pretty tough but the magic of the spellcasters was still strong enough to deal with them.

The fel had made the orcs stronger but also the sin'dorei. Their spells were precise and deadlier than ever. Kelrian had set the bodies of eight orcs on fire by hitting them with a pyroblast and he didn't even feel drained. Before he had come to Outland, he would have been exhausted after casting one large pyroblast. But now that the fel had made him more powerful than ever, he could cast more of these devastating spells which had always cost a large amount of his mana in the past. Nowadays, they didn't drain as much of his mana as they used to.

Lots of orcs fell quickly but Illidan's allies were still not underestimating them. They remained careful and didn't get too cocky. The orcs were still pretty dangerous, especially in close combat. Most of them died before they reached a naga or an elf but some survived too long for the attackers' liking and a few of those even managed to kill a few attackers. The fallen naga and elves were avenged quickly. The orcs were inferior in number so were the demons.

Fire, fel, arcane and ice magic killed two-thirds of the orcs and the rest was killed by arrows, throwing spears or sharp blades. Most of the demons were killed, only a few of them were taken captive because Illidan had told his followers to do that. He had told the sin'dorei that they could also draw power from the demons.

Only half a dozen demons and ten orcs remained as Illidan, Kael'thas and Lady Vashj came to the dimensional gate. Illidan told them what to do and together they started channelling the necessary spell to close it.

Kelrian and the other elves and naga were not idle in the meantime. He froze orcs in their movements and used fel fire to ignite two orcs, giving them a quick but painful death. He knocked two demons away with a shock wave and began to cast his next spell.

Tyrande, Elena and other archers shot volleys of arrows at the remaining foes while melee fighters held back the orcs and demons, preventing them from coming too close to the archers and spellcasters. Orcs came out of the dimensional gate but the naga and elves near Illidan and the others took care of them and prevented them from interrupting the spell.

The last orc fell a few moments before Illidan, Kael'thas and Lady Vashj managed to close the gate. The swirling black-greenish vortex vanished, making the gate unusable. "We've done it," shouted Kael'thas happily.

Illidan nodded, an impassive expression was visible on his face. "But there are three more gates out there. We have to close all of them one by one if we want to defeat Magtheridon."

Kelrian's gaze fell on the fallen. "We should bring the fallen to our base first."

"And the demons," added Kael'thas.

Illidan nodded. "Yes, we should."

They went back to the base and put the demons in special prisons which Illidan had ordered to be built. Special spells trapped the demons in their prisons and prevented them from casting spells or breaking out. There was no way out for them. Kelrian spent the rest of the day with his father and Elena. They trained, talked and then he and Elena went to their tent. Kelrian had not planned to have sex with Elena that night but it had happened nevertheless. He had not been able to resist Elena's seduction.

Like the first time they had sex, he had thought of Sylvanas all the time. No matter what he had tried, he hadn't been able to stop imagining Sylvanas' nude gorgeous body. He hadn't been able to stop imagining her perfect body which looked much better than Elena's. Elena's nude form was hot too but she was not as gorgeous as Sylvanas. Nobody was more beautiful than her. Tyrande was the only person who was as beautiful as Sylvanas.

Elena had fallen asleep but Kelrian was still awake, thinking about their love-making. He was sure Elena had loved it. He had seen it in her eyes and the wonderful sounds she had made were proof enough. But he... For some reason, he had not enjoyed it as much as he had the first time. He had felt a little uncomfortable while doing it with her and he had no idea why. Something was wrong with him. Not only with him, with everything. But he couldn't tell what it was. Something was bothering him.

He laid awake for a while and tried to figure out what was wrong but came to no conclusion. He fell asleep eventually and was woken up by Elena the next morning. She was laying on top of him, kissing him and caressing his muscular body.

It was obvious that she wanted more than just kissing. Kelrian knew that but he felt too tired and too weak to resist. He had spent most of the absorbed fel energy in battle, so he felt much weaker than before. He needed more energy. Elena, on the other hand, didn't spend as much energy in battle because she was not a spellcaster. She felt as fresh as a daisy. She felt stronger than ever. She was ready for action, ready to kill more orcs and demons. He, on the other hand, felt exhausted.

"You should absorb more fel, honey," she said after they were done. She handed him a fel crystal and watched him absorb its energy. He felt a lot better than before when he was done. He was no longer tired and exhausted. He felt as fresh as a daisy, just like her.

Elena put on her clothes and walked over to the small wooden desk. She took the tin full of pink pills in her hand and opened it. She regarded it for a few moments and then turned her head to look at Kelrian who had gotten dressed in the meantime. She looked back at the tin and then closed it, putting it away without taking one of these pills.

Kelrian walked over to her and put a hand on her hip, leaving the tent with her. They came to the king's tent, noticing that the entrance was slightly open. Kelrian didn't dare to take a peek in it but Elena did. Her eyes widened as she saw Kael'thas and Lady Vashj share a kiss. She stepped back and put on a poker face, turning to Kelrian. "We should look for Lord Illidan," she said.

Kelrian nodded. "You are right."

They found Illidan together with Tyrande near the training ground. They were standing pretty close to each other so that their bodies were almost touching. Illidan had his arms crossed in front of his chest,his wings were folded behind his back. Tyrande's hands rested on her hips, her blue eyes rested on the naga, sin'dorei and kaldorei who were training together.

"Greetings, Lord Illidan. Greeting, Lady Whisperwind," Kelrian and Elena said in unison. The night elves' gazes fell on them as they greeted them in return. "Are we going to close the second portal today?" Kelrian asked.

"Well, Kael'thas, Tyrande, Lady Vashj and I will go and close the gate. I have a different task for you."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "A different task?" he asked curiously.

"Our scouts spotted a village which will be soon attacked by the orcs. Your task is to kill the orcs and rescue the village and its inhabitants. It's not unlikely that these creatures will support us if we save them."

"The more allies we get, the better it is," Kelrian replied.

"I share your opinion, captain," responded Tyrande. "We just need to make sure we can trust those who want to join us."

"I see no reason why we shouldn't allow the inhabitants of the village to join us, if they want. We have a common enemy."

"You are right about that, captain. I was speaking about potential allies in general. I wasn't speaking about the villagers. I'm sure that there is no reason to not trust those who are about to get attacked by the orcs," explained Tyrande.

Kelrian looked at Illidan. "When will we set off?"

"As soon as Tyrande's reinforcements arrive."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Reinforcements?" he asked surprised.

"More of my people are coming to our aid," told Tyrande.

"How many?"

"About two hundred. Velsana and Vissia are among them."

A small smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "I haven't seen them for a while. How are they doing?"

"They are doing fine. After the events in Dalaran, I ordered them to stay in Darnassus for a few weeks to relax and come to terms with everything that happened. They trained new recruits after their vacation and did other things. Velsana told me that she cannot wait to join me and fight by my side again."

"That sounds like her. She loves a good fight. She loves fighting but only when it's necessary. She doesn't fight for fun, she fights when she has to. She is a very brave warrioress. Her skills are impressive. So are Vissia's."

"They belong to the best warrioresses I have. I'm glad that they join us once again and help us to defeat Magtheridon and his servants."

"When will they arrive?" Elena asked.

"In two hours," replied the priestess. "Feel free to spent the two hours as you wish. Just be back in time, that's all I ask of you."

Kelrian and Elena nodded. "We will," they said in unison. Elena took Kelrian's hand and looked at him, then she pointed at the training ground. Kelrian gave her an understanding nod and walked with her to the other blood elves who were training diligently.

They trained for almost two hours and then went back to Illidan and Tyrande. Familiar night elves were around them. They spotted Velsana, Vissia but also Melysa. Kelrian and Elena went to them and greeted them.

"It's nice to see you again," replied Velsana. She had her arm wrapped around Vissia's shoulder and smiled at him. "It has been a while."

"Indeed, it has. I heard you had two weeks of vacation," Kelrian said.

Vissia and Velsana nodded. "We travelled with the High Priestess for months to find Illidan. The trip was more exhausting than we thought. The High Priestess' offer came in handy so we didn't refuse it," explained the rogue.

"How was it?" asked Elena.

"Relaxing. We needed that so badly," answered Vissia.

"I'm glad we are finally back to fight our foes. I rather charge in battles than remaining at home and train recruits. Don't get me wrong, I rather want to be safe than risking my life but I can't just stay somewhere and train recruits while others fight against a great threat. I need to be in battle as much as I hate it at the same time," told Velsana.

Kelrian nodded. "I understand you. I don't like fighting. I only join a fight when it is necessary. I don't fight for joy or for glory. I only fight if I must But I rather join my brethren in battle than sitting at home and doing nothing."

The night elves and the sin'dorei turned around as they heard Illidan clearing his throat. The half-demon quickly explained who belonged to which group and what the groups were doing. Kelrian already knew that he and Elena would help the villagers. New for him was that Vissia, Velsana and Melysa will join them. But not only them. Fifty sin'dorei, fifty naga and seventy kaldorei will join them too.

"Now that everyone knows to which group they belong, we are ready to set off," announced Illidan. "I wish you good luck, my followers."


	37. The Black Temple

The village was already under attack when Kelrian and his men arrived. He had expected them to arrive in time to catch the orcs before they would reach the village but these brutes had been faster than he had expected. The fel orcs were already fighting the inhabitants of the village. Both sides had suffered losses already. Dead orcs and defenders were scattered all over the ground that was covered in blood.

The inhabitants were tall creatures which were standing on two hooves. Their skin colour was either light purple, pale blue or grey. Their eyes were either glowing bluish or fel greenish. They had tails and four tendrils that came out of the chins of the males. The tendrils of the horned females came out spots behind their ears. They were pretty ugly creatures which looked like they had been twisted by something. The defenders were fighting fiercely but they were inferior in number, meaning that they would lose in the end if no one would aid them.

Fortunately for them, the naga and elves were there to help them. Nearly two hundred orcs were there and fought fiercely but more than three-quarters of them died in the first few hours. Lots of defenders, naga and elves died in return.

Some orcs managed to get in the village. They rushed through the streets and broke in the houses. Most houses were empty but some of them were not. Old creatures, women and children were hiding there. The defenders weren't able to stop everyone. A few innocents died but most of them survived.

Kelrian followed one of these orcs who sprinted into the village. The female orc ran to a small house and kicked the door open, entering the house quickly. Kelrian heard high-pitched screams as he entered the house. He came into the living room, noticing that the orc was standing in front of a female that was holding a little baby in her arms. Not far away from her stood a small child which was barely taller than two feet and six inches. They were scared and afraid of dying. The mother screamed something which Kelrian couldn't understand as the orc lifted her axe to strike down the mother and her child.

Kelrian reacted quickly and created a sharp, thick and long ice lance and threw it at the orc. The lance pierced through her back, missed her heart and came out of her chest. A loud, deafening scream escaped the orc's lips as she stopped in her movement, giving Kelrian the opportunity to freeze her hands. He pulled his sword from his belt and jumped over to her, cutting off the hand that held the axe. Another painful scream escaped the orc's lips. Kelrian hit her with an arcane blast, causing her to land hard on the floor and remain there. The pain stunned her, preventing her from getting up immediately.

Kelrian sat on her torso and pinned her down, putting his hands on her face. He could feel the fel running through her veins. It was strong. He felt a desire. The desire to absorb more fel energy. The desire was strong. Too strong. He couldn't resist the desire. He put his hands on the orcs chin, forced her mouth open and brought his face close to hers. He didn't know what happened until it was too late. He had no control over himself, his body was acting on its own. The fel left her body and was absorbed by his. He was sucking the fel out of her body until nothing was left.

He stood up as soon as he was done, regarding the orc in front of him. Her body was much smaller than before and withered. The orc's skin was shrivelled and grey, her gaze was blank. She was not moving nor was she breathing. He doubted that she was still alive. Kelrian had just wanted to absorb the fel in her body but he accidentally had drained her lifeforce too. She was dead but that didn't matter. He would have killed her anyway. There was no way he would have spared her. Not after she had tried to kill a mother and her children.

He had been pretty exhausted when he had followed the orc but now he no longer was. He felt refreshed and was ready to fight again. He felt better than before, much stronger. He wanted more but no orcs were in his near. He had to return to the battlefield if he wanted to absorb more fel but the battle had almost been over when he had left the battlefield to follow the orc. It was very likely that the defenders and his men had defeated the remaining orcs in the meantime. He would be able to absorb more fel when they would return to the base, but first, they had to complete their mission.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at the mother and her children, noticing that they were still scared. He offered the mother a hand to help her up but she shook her head and increased the distance between them. Kelrian frowned. He assumed that she was still in shock and had no idea who was friend and foe. He couldn't hold that against her.

He turned his head as he heard footsteps. He saw one of the defenders entering the small house. His armour was covered in blood so was his hammer. He was uninjured but worried. He rushed to the room Kelrian and the family were in. The worry vanished and was reflected by happiness as he saw that the mother and her two children were still alive. He went to the mother and got on his knees, hugging her and then the small child. At last, he took the baby in his arms and regarded it. Kelrian assumed that he was the father of the two children.

Kelrian was about to leave the room as the man got up and walked to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," he said. His accent was strong but Kelrian was still able to understand him. Kelrian's common had gotten a lot better in the past year. When the sin'dorei had begun to work with the humans, he had practised it every day. Marcus had been a great teacher to him.

"You saved my family," the man added. "I am deeply in your debt."

"I just did what everyone would have done in this situation. You don't owe me anything."

"I don't take no as an answer. I will pay my debts one day. Promised."

"What's your name?" Kelrian asked.

"Iren."

"Iren, if you want to pay your debts then help us against the orcs and their master. My men and I want to end Magtheridon's reign and free Outland from the influence of the Burning Legion."

Iren nodded. "I will bring you to our leader, I'm sure your men are already talking to him. We fight the fel orcs for years now, I'm sure our people will join you. I doubt our leader refuses to work with you. You saved us. Without you and your men's support, many of us would have died. Too many."

Kelrian smiled. "You are welcome. I'm Ranger-Captain Sunsinger but you can call me Kelrian if you want."

Iren offered him his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kelrian."

Kelrian shook his hand. "The same counts for me, Iren."

Iren's grey lips formed a smile. It was not a pretty smile because he had sharp, ugly teeth but it was still a friendly gesture.

"May I know what the name of your race is? I have never seen people like you before."

"We call ourselves Krokul. That's the draenei word for broken. We are the Broken."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Broken?"

"We were once draenei but the fel energies changed us. Orc warlocks used fel magic to torture us and our bodies absorbed the fel and changed that way."

"Are there other villages in which more of your kind live?"

Iren nodded. "There are. Our leader can tell you where they are. There are also villages and cities on Outland in which our former brethren live."

"The draenei?"

Iren nodded, sadness could be seen in his eyes. "They exiled us and threaten to kill us if we return. Since then we live in this area and do anything necessary to survive."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Iren shrugged. "We accepted our fate. I understand that they don't trust us after they saw what the fel magic did to the orcs."

"It changed them," said Kelrian.

"Totally changed them. They became brutal beasts after they drank demon blood. The fel is a mighty but dangerous source of power. You have to be careful with that. If you consume too much of it then..."

"Something bad happens to you," completed Kelrian.

Iren nodded and walked over to a cupboard, opening one of the drawers. He took something out and handed it over to Kelrian. It was a small, old painting. "That was me before the fel changed me," Iren explained.

The painted person looked much healthier than Iren. His past self had light bluish skin, sky-blue eyes and his face reflected his youth perfectly. He looked handsome. His hair was brown and he had a nose. His present self had grey hair and instead of a nose, he had small slits. His eyes were fel green. The fel changed him for the worse. Kelrian knew he had to be careful if he didn't want the same to happen to him.

"I held you up enough. Come follow me, I will bring you to our leader."

Kelrian nodded and followed Iren. They walked through the village, which had been largely spared. Only some houses had been damaged, none of them had been destroyed. They came to the middle of the village where the fallen had been put next to each other. Thirty Broken, twenty naga, seventeen sin'dorei and twelve kaldorei had fallen. No orc had survived the battle.

Iren guided Kelrian to a Broken who was kneeling in front of his fallen brethren and regarding them silently. The old male turned around and regarded Kelrian curiously. Iren spoke first. "Elder Sage Akama, this is Ranger-Captain Sunsinger. Captain, this is our leader Elder Sage Akama."

"You can call me Akama," the Broken said.

Kelrian regarded him closely. His skin was grey, his eyes were blue and his teeth were sharp. Most of his muscular upper body was exposed, his lower body, his left shoulder and his forearms were covered by golden armour. His belt was decorated by a huge golden disc and a necklace of skulls hung around his neck. He looked fearsome and powerful.

"You can call me Kelrian then."

"Are you the leader of this... mixed group?"

Kelrian nodded. "I am but I serve Lord Illidan Stormrage. He wants to get rid of the demon Magtheridon and his fel orcs. Our spies detected the orc army that was marching towards your village, so we decided to help you."

"I want Magtheridon dead too but I don't have the men to pose a threat to him. Perhaps we can defeat him if we work together."

"If you wish to join us then you have to speak to Lord Illidan. He set off to close the second of the four dimensional gates through which orcs are coming every day. I can bring you to our base where we have to wait for Lord Illidan's return."

"You saved the lives of many of my people today. I'm sure they orcs would have overwhelmed us in the long run. So many innocents would have died if you wouldn't have shown up. I have to thank you for your aid. I will follow you to your base. It will be an honour for us to serve this Illidan and help him defeat the demon and his degenerated orcs."

"Our base is not far away from your village. I'll leave most of my soldiers here in case the orcs attack again," said Kelrian.

"That's great, Kelrian. Let me gather my advisors and then we can go."

"You don't need to hurry, Akama. Lord Illidan may be away for a few days. There is no need to hurry."

"Alright, Kelrian. Allow me to speak to my people first and then I will join you."

"Take all time you need, Akama."

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Kelrian and the others had defended Akama's village. They had done the same with other villages and killed hundreds of orcs while Illidan and his followers had closed the three remaining dimensional gates. Akama had spoken to Illidan and pledged his support in overthrowing Magtheridon.

Akama and his brethren had managed to sneak in Magtheridon's outposts and deactivate the defensive mechanisms there so that the naga and elves had been able to storm the outposts without getting blown up by the big fel cannons. They had been able to take over the outposts and kill every orc and demon there without losing too many soldiers. Magtheridon's territory had been reduced in size by eighty percent in the past weeks. Only his main base and the area around it still belonged to him.

The Black Temple was a huge stronghold which was heavily guarded by demons and orcs. The walls were thick and huge, making it impossible for anyone to climb them without getting noticed by the defenders. It was clear that Illidan's forces wouldn't be able to conquer the temple without initiating a huge battle which will cost many lives.

"So this is the Black Temple," Kelrian said as he regarded it closely.

Akama stepped to him. "The temple once belonged to my people before the orcs drank demon blood and went on a rampage. The orcs and demons defile it with their presence and the use of fel magic. The temple has to be cleansed of these foul creatures."

Illidan looked at the Broken. "We will get rid of every single foul creature, Akama. Don't worry about that."

"And then my people can live in the temple like in the good old times. The temple is much safer than our villages. In case that the Legion will send more demons to Outland once they will hear of Magtheridon's defeat, my people have better chances to survive," replied Akama.

"We should defeat Magtheridon first and then speak about the future. We will have enough time to talk about everything once we got rid of this miserable creature," said Tyrande.

Illidan nodded. "She is right. We have to get rid of that tyrant first." He pointed at the entrance which was guarded by hundreds of creatures. Fel orcs, satyrs, succubi, wrathguards and other demon races were waiting there. "Let the battle begin."

Kelrian followed Illidan and his army to the temple's entrance. He didn't hesitate to cast a spell once he was in range. The large fel pyroblast hit two wrathguards, tearing them apart. He cast the next spell, killing more demons. He had cast another powerful spell that would normally have cost him a large portion of his mana, but he was anything but exhausted. He felt fresher and more powerful than ever.

Like his father, he cast spell after spell without getting exhausted, killing several demons at once with each of his spells. After the seventh powerful spell, he noticed the first signs of exhaustion. But he had enough felstones in his backpack to sustain himself.

He consumed the abnormal amount of energy stored in one of the felstones, feeling refreshed when he was done. He cast more and more spells, killing more demons and orcs. He stayed in the backline and fired his spells from afar while Illidan and all the melees were in the middle of the battle and kept the demons and orcs busy. They prevented them from reaching the spellcasters and archers.

The orcs and demons also had spellcasters which were able to kill lots of Illidan's men with fire, shadow and fel magic. Mages and priests gave their best to protect everyone through shields and barriers but that was not always possible in every case. Allies died but more foes fell in return. The battle in front of the entrance was bloody. Corpses were raised by demon necromancers but Illidan's men quickly took care of them and their masters.

Kelrian shot spells at any necromancer as soon as they came in his range. Time passed quickly. Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days. Kelrian didn't know how many days had passed when they finally managed to get in the temple's forecourt. More demons were awaiting them there. Infernals but also nathrezim and shivarra joined the demon forces. Shivarra were tall female demons with six arms. They carried a weapon in each of their hands. They were very deadly but the attackers found a way to deal with them. Kelrian and other mages froze their feet to the ground and bombarded them with spells until they died.

Lots of blood flowed, armour and weapons broke, limbs were separated and lots of creatures died before Illidan and his army finally arrived in front of the main entrance of the temple. Kelrian had no idea how many demons and orcs they had killed so far nor did he know how many comrades they had lost.

He had no idea which day it was or how many felstones he had consumed. He was sure he had consumed at least five of them and he didn't feel a difference. He still felt more powerful than ever. He was not exhausted. On the contrary, he was ready to kill more orcs and demons.

The attackers fought their way through the temple, killing any foe that got in their way until they came to the main room where a demon was already awaiting them. It was not an ordinary demon. It was a pit lord, a massive demon on four legs. It had a long tail and huge wings. Its belly, shoulders and wrists were covered by armour. Its skin appeared to be pretty thick, protecting it well. Its eyes were glowing greenish and the top of its head was burning.

It was an were known in the common language as pit lords. It was no other than Magtheridon, the current ruler of the Black Temple and Outland. The annihilan's gaze rested on Illidan. "I do not know you, stranger, but your power is vast. Are you an agent of the Legion? Have you been sent to test me?" His voice was deep and reflected scorn.

Illidan laughed. "I have come to replace you. You're a relic, Magtheridon, a ghost of a past age. The future is mine. From this moment on, Outland and all of its denizens will follow my lead. The Legion will no longer have any claim on this world."

Magtheridon's eyes narrowed, he raised his spear and pointed its tip at Illidan. "Only over my cold dead body, hunter."

The corners of Illidan's lips formed a provocative smile. "So be it." He gave the command to attack. Magtheridon was not alone, dozens of demons and orcs surrounded him but they fell within the first hour.

Magtheridon cast spells and executed swings, killing elves, naga but also Broken and demons Illidan had enslaved. He was alone against an entire army lead by powerful heroes. Kael'thas, Lady Vashj and Kelrian combined their magic to create a very powerful spell which heavily injured the annihilan. Dozens of arrows hit him, lots of weapons pierced his flesh and wounded him even further.

Whenever Magtheridon cast a spell, the mages worked together to counter it. They succeeded most of the times. Magtheridon wounded and killed some of his enemies with his spear but he couldn't stop everyone from attacking him. He got more and more wounded until he couldn't take it anymore.

He collapsed on the floor eventually. He tried to reach his spear but it was too far away from him. He was too weak to get up and move to it. Green blood flowed out of several dozen places. It was difficult to find a spot where he wasn't wounded. His entire body was covered in blood, so was the floor beneath him.

Illidan walked over to Magtheridon and raised his twin blades. He looked at Tyrande, receiving a nod from her. "Finish him, Illidan. You don't have to let him suffer any longer than necessary. He pays for his crimes with his death."

Illidan nodded and looked back at the pit lord. "Any last words, Magtheridon?"

"Fuck you, bastard."

Illidan rammed his twin blades in the demon's head, ending his life. The demon's body started to glow and then exploded. Illidan had gotten behind the barrier, the mages had created in time, and was left unharmed by the explosion. The barrier was destroyed in the process but no one got injured or died.

Illidan regarded the remains of Magtheridon's armour for a few moments before he turned around and looked at those who followed him. "We've done it, my warriors. We freed Outland from the Legion's grasp. This world is ours."

People started to cheer loudly, lots of them shouted Illidan's name. Kelrian was one of those who cheered for Illidan. The half-demon waited until everyone had calmed down. "Let's return to our base and spread the good news. We have reason enough to celebrate."

A few days later, Kelrian was back in the base, sitting at one of the various tables that had been set up in the middle of the base. Elena sat to his right and Vara to his left. Next to Vara sat Velsana and Vissia who were sharing a meal together. Elena was eating roasted devilsaur flesh and potatoes. Kelrian had already cleared his plate and was currently sipping at his mana wine which tasted much better than he had expected.

His arm was wrapped around Elena but they weren't looking at each other. Elena looked at her plate while Kelrian stared at his father who was sitting between Lady Vashj and Illidan. His father was Illidan's right hand so it only made sense that he sat next to him. It surprised him that Lady Vashj sat next to his father and not next to her master.

He had observed them from time to time over the past days and noticed that they seemed to be very close. Kelrian had no idea what he should think about it. He had no proof that they were an item but it was so obvious that they liked each other. He couldn't imagine a sin'dorei and a naga together. He didn't want to imagine how their love-making would look like. But he knew better than to judge someone because of the person they loved. If his father and Lady Vashj would start dating, he had to accept it. It was none of his business who his father loved. He had the right to be together with anyone he wanted.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at Tyrande who was sitting to Illidan's right. They were looking at each other and discussing something. Kelrian was too far away to understand any word, so he couldn't find out what they were talking about. He had the impression that they were also pretty close. He even noticed that Tyrande put a hand on Illidan's upper thigh from time to time. His sixth sense told him that something was going on between them.

Kelrian emptied his goblet and put it on the table, looking at Elena who had just finished her meal. "Did the meal satisfy you?"

"It did."

Kelrian smiled and pulled her closer. They sat there for a while and enjoyed the celebration. They talked to each other but also to others. They eat and drank and did other things. They celebrated the entire night. The first creatures left the celebration and went to their tents when the morning dawned. Elena got up and signalized Kelrian to do the same. He had no other choice than to obey her because she was too drunk to walk alone. He wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to their tent.

Elena was so drunk that it was best for her to get some rest immediately, but she had other plans. She wrapped her arms around Kelrian, stepped on her tiptoes and kissed him. Kelrian returned it at first but pulled away quickly. The smell of alcohol in her breath disturbed him. Elena tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"You are too drunk, Elena. You should get some sleep."

"I don't want to go to bed yet," she snapped.

"What else do you want to do?" he asked, giving her a curious look.

She grinned at him, coming closer. "You know exactly what I want," she said as she put her hands on his chest and started to unbutton his blouse. Kelrian grabbed her wrists and removed her hands from his blouse. "I'm not in the mood to do this now. I'm tired and exhausted. I just want some rest."

Elena's eyes narrowed. "You are denying me? How dare you?"

Kelrian frowned. "I'm not your sex toy or your salve, Elena. I'm your boyfriend. You can't just demand things from me I don't want to do."

"But I can. You are my boyfriend, so you are supposed to do everything I want from you."

Kelrian shook his head, staring into her eyes. She was drunk so she had no control over herself. She didn't realize what nonsense she was talking. It was pointless to argue with her in her condition. He would only waste his time if he would try to convince her that he was not her slave. All he could do was to try to convince her to go to sleep.

"You are drunk, Elena. You need to sleep. You are only making things worse if you are resisting."

"I am not drunk," hissed Elena.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "You are not drunk? Are you sure about that?"

Elena nodded. "I am."

Kelrian shook his head. "You can barely walk without my support, Elena. You are drunk. Stop denying that."

Elena's eyes narrowed, a small amount of anger was reflected by them. "I. AM. NOT. DRUNK."

"Stop lying to yourself and to me, Elena. Do both of us a favour and just lie down on our bed and close your eyes. You need to rest."

"Don't tell me what to do. You are not my master."

"Well. Technically, I'm your superior. I'm a captain and you are a lieutenant but I'm not ordering you to do anything. All I'm asking of you is to lay down and get some sleep."

"But I don't want to go to sleep now. I want to have sex and you are supposed to give me what I want."

Kelrian caressed his forehead with his left hand. He was helpless. He had no idea what he should do in this situation. Elena was drunk and a pain in the ass at the moment. He couldn't convince her to get the sleep she needed so badly in her situation. He knew it was very likely that she would go to sleep if he would give her what she demanded but he was not in the mood for that. He had no desire to have sex with her at the moment. He just wanted to get in their bed and fall asleep because he was very tired. But Elena didn't make things easy for him. She didn't give up and continued to act like a bitch.

Elena managed to get free, stepped to him again and put her hands on his chest. She unbuttoned his blouse but she didn't manage to get it off because he pushed her away before she would have been able to do that. "Stop that, Kelrian," she hissed. "Stop denying me."

She went to him again but he put his hands on her shoulders and kept her at distance. Elena got free again and did something Kelrian had never expected her to do. She slapped him hard across the face. Twice.

Kelrian made a step backwards, covering the spot where she had struck him with his hands. His green eyes were widened in shock. His face reflected disbelief as he stared at Elena. Elena's facial expression was a cold one. She didn't seem to regret what she had done. Her green eyes were narrowed and reflected pure anger.

"Don't you dare to deny me again," she pressed through gritted teeth.

Kelrian didn't respond to her. He was still stunned by her slaps. He didn't move nor did he spoke to her. He just stared at her, wondering what she will do next. She walked over to him and removed his blouse and his vest. She still wanted to sleep with him even though she knew he didn't want to sleep with her at this very moment. She knew he didn't want to have sex but that didn't seem to interest her. She was doing that because she wanted to do it and she didn't care about what he wanted.

Kelrian broke out of his state of shock and forcefully pushed Elena away, hoping that brought her to her senses. Elena stumbled and fell, landing on her ass. Unfortunately for him, it didn't bring her to her senses, it just made her angrier than before. She got up and slapped him again. "Stop this," she cried. "Stop denying me."

"Stop this madness, Elena. You are acting like a bitch. A drunk bitch who is mad because she doesn't get what she wants. Stop this, you are ruining everything."

"Don't you dare to call me a bitch."

"Then stop acting like one."

"Stop denying me."

"There are lines which shouldn't be crossed. You have to accept that I don't want to have sex with you. You have to accept that I don't do everything you want from me."

Elena's eyes narrowed. "I can do whatever I want," she cried.

Kelrian shook his head. "No, you can't. I'm going now. This is too much for me. Come to me when you are no longer drunk and have come to your senses."

Kelrian walked towards the tent's exit but Elena stepped in front of him, preventing him from leaving. "Elena... Don't make it more complicated than it already is."

Elena's eyes stared into his. She remained in the exit and prevented him from leaving the tent. Kelrian walked back to his vest and blouse, picked them up and put them on, then he walked back to Elena who didn't move in the meantime. "Are you allowing me to leave?"

"No," hissed Elena.

Kelrian muttered a few words in ancient thalassian. A gust of wind hit Elena and threw her away, making her landing hard on the ground about fifteen feet away from him. Kelrian muttered a few more phrases, freezing Elena's feet and hands to the ground, preventing her from getting up. He didn't say anything to her as he turned his back to her and walked away.


	38. Reminder Of The Past

The sun was shining brightly, the temperature outside was warm. The twittering of birds could be heard in the far. It had been a while since Alleria had last heard these beautiful sounds. She hadn't heard them for about a year because the birds had left Quel'Thalas when the undead army had invaded it.

Now, almost one and a half year later, they had returned to Quel'Thalas. But not only them. Other animal races like boars, deer, rabbits and lynxes had returned too. A real miracle. Like all sin'dorei, Alleria loved nature. She loved the plants and most animals. Her connection to nature was getting stronger slowly. She was sure that one day it would be as strong as it used to be.

She had always loved to regard the animals that lived in the forests of Quel'Thalas. She still loved to do it but she rarely had the time to do that these days. She was always busy. She had to rule the sin'dorei while the king was still on Outland with the half-demon half-night elf Illidan Stormrage. The king was fighting with their newest allies against the demons that that possessed Outland. She hadn't heard of him since then. She had no idea if he was still alive nor did she know if they were still fighting the demons or if they had already defeated them.

Ruling over the sin'dorei was not an easy task. She not only had to make sure that all citizens had enough to eat but she also had to defend them from the Scourge that was attacking the villages from time to time. Five villages had been reconquered so far and all of them had been turned into small fortresses. They were surrounded by walls made of wood or stone and at least one tower stood in each of them. Lookout towers had been built near these villages and Farstriders were riding through the area all day and night. There were enough patrols who were keeping an eye out for any foe that might come too close to one of these villages.

She also had to organise the reconstruction of Silvermoon City and Quel'Danas. The workers were repairing and reconstructing houses and buildings that had been damaged or destroyed. They had been working on the eastern half of the Silvermoon City for a year and still, it was not even close to being completed. They will need at least a few more years to reconstruct the whole city. The walls were intact at least, making it impossible for any Scourge minion or any troll to get in the eastern half of the capital. The citizens were protected. Their safety was Alleria's number one priority.

Then came the reconstruction of Silvermoon and reconquest of their lost territories. Freeing Quel'Thalas from the Scourge was important too but not as important as the safety of the survivors. She wouldn't risk the lives of her people for anything. She would only send out the remains of the army if she was sure that they would be victorious without losing too many soldiers. Reclaiming all lost territories will be a slow process. But she was a patient person so she had no problems with that.

She leaned back in her chair and picked up the document that laid on her desk. She had read it three times already but she still couldn't believe what was written there. She read the last paragraphs again.

_I accept your offer. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person. We share a common interest and a common enemy. We want to free Azeroth from the Scourge and bring peace to our people. We are on the same side. I may have never met you before but I still trust you. I trust your king and he trusts me._

_We have been working together successfully, so I believe our alliance will be successful as well. If you allow, I will come to Silvermoon City to see for myself how extensive the damage caused by the Scourge really is. I assume you need resources to rebuild your shattered kingdom. We have enough resources which we can give you for free. But we will discuss that as soon as we meet._

_Yours sincerely Malfurion Stormrage, Archdruid of Moonglade and Co-ruler of the Kaldorei._

Beneath his signature was his seal. The letter was real. It was not a fake. She had only exchanged a few letters with the co-leader of the night elves and he had already agreed to her idea of forming an alliance. She had never met him but from what Kael'thas had told her, she knew she could trust him. She was sure he was exactly as the king had described him. A brave, just man who wanted to protect Azeroth by every means. She will soon find out if what Kael'thas had told her in his letters was true when she would meet him. She liked the idea of him visiting Silvermoon City, so she didn't hesitate to write a response in which she told him that he could come whenever he wanted.

She put the letter in an envelope and sealed it, calling for one of her servants. A young blonde woman arrived and greeted her. Alleria greeted her in return and gave her the envelope, telling her to seek out a messenger who should take a portal and bring it to Malfurion. The servant nodded and hurried away.

Alleria closed the door and walked back to her desk. She sat down on her chair and took a document from the stacks of documents on the left side of the desk. She started reading it but stopped as she heard knocks at the door. She lifted her head and looked at the door. "Come in," she shouted.

The door was opened a moment later and a familiar person came in. She had long silver hair, beautiful blue glowing eyes and flawless pink skin. She wore a blue dress which accentuated her slim figure perfectly. Alleria got up and met her sister halfway, pulling her in a tight hug. She pulled away after nearly three minutes and stared into Vereesa's eyes, smiling at her. "You are finally here, Little Moon."

"I'm sorry that I didn't make it earlier. Rhonin returned later than I have expected, so I had to stay at home much longer because I had to look after Giramar and Galadin," said Vereesa.

"It's alright, Vereesa. Come take a seat," Alleria responded, pointing at one of the two chairs in front of her desk. Vereesa didn't hesitate to sit down and wrap one of her legs over the other. Alleria poured moonberry juice in two glasses and handed one of them to Vereesa before she sat down on her chair.

"How are the little ones doing?"

"They are doing fine. They just learned to walk on their own. They are not very fast but that's fine. They are making progress, I'm so proud of them."

Alleria smiled. "They are so cute. I have to visit them when I have the time but as you know, I'm very busy these days."

"It's not easy to be the Regent Lady of Quel'Thalas. You have lots of responsibilities and there is much you have to do that costs a lot of time."

Alleria nodded. "But I'm fine with that. There is not much I can do in my free time since Turalyon's disappearance..." Her voice became much quieter and sadder. "We haven't heard of him since the fall of Quel'Danas. It's not unlikely that he is one of them..."

Vereesa put a hand on one of Alleria's hands and gave her a comforting look as she caressed it. "I'm so sorry, Lady Sun."

Alleria gave her younger sister a weak smile. "You don't have to be sorry, Little Moon. You didn't do anything wrong. It was that bastard Arthas who left our homeland in ruins and split our family. Lyndia, uncle Zelastor and our dear sister have been killed and brought back by that sadist. But they broke free from the Scourge at least."

"They want to fight the Scourge, don't they? So Sylvanas is not our enemy, right? Vereesa asked. Her blue eyes were wide and reflected curiosity but also a small amount of worry.

"It seems she is not our enemy but we have to find out for ourselves. I thought about inviting her to Silvermoon but I'm afraid of the reaction of our people if the undead would enter Silvermoon. Only one and a half year passed since the fall of Quel'Thalas. Maybe it's too soon..."

A thoughtful look appeared on Vereesa's face. She toyed with her wedding ring while thinking about what her sister had said. "What if we meet her outside of Silvermoon? Just the two of us and a few rangers and mages as back up. What do you think?"

Alleria was silent for a few moments as she thought about her sister's suggestion. "That's not a bad idea. Where do we meet her?"

"If Windrunner Spire wouldn't be occupied by the Scourge I would meet her there. Windrunner Village also belongs to the Scourge so that's not an option either. What about Suncrown Village? It's Kelrian's home village. We've liberated it from the possession of the Scourge a few days ago and the citizens haven't occupied it yet. It's an empty village which makes it to the perfect location to meet Sylvanas."

Alleria took a sip from her moonberry juice. "Your idea is good, Vereesa. We should meet her there if she wants to see us."

"I hope she does."

Alleria nodded, putting a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "I hope the same. I want to meet her but at the same time, I'm afraid to meet her. I don't want to imagine how much she has changed. Everything that Arthas did to her must have left marks on her. We can't expect Sylvanas to still be the same. She has changed for sure. The question is: How much of the sister we loved still exists in the Banshee Queen? Can we still recognize her or has she completely changed? I'm scared to meet her, but at the same time I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Vereesa put her other hand on Alleria's and intertwined their fingers, staring into her older sister's eyes. "I feel the same, Alleria. I'm also afraid that Sylvanas changed too much. None of us can imagine what the torment Arthas put her through did to her. I don't have high hopes but I still pray for the best outcome."

"I doubt we can expect Sylvanas to hug us or make a similar gesture. It seems that we have to find out what she has become. We have to find out if we can trust her and if she and her Forsaken are suited to be our allies."

"Do you think our people want to work with the Forsaken? They are undead after all..."

Alleria took a deep breath, staring at her fingers for a few moments before she looked back at her sister. "I doubt everyone will be happy about an alliance with the undead but I'm sure most people will accept it with time. Our people loved Sylvanas in life and followed her to the bitter end so I hope they will accept an alliance with the Forsaken when they find out that their beloved Ranger-General, or what is left of her, is leading them. It won't be easy but I'm certain we can do it. Even the king believes that Sylvanas is on our side. He has accepted her as she is, we only have to tell that to our people. We have to convince them that Sylvanas is not evil but first we have to find out if that's true."

"I will support you whenever I can, sis," Vereesa said determinately.

Alleria gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you do."

"We must stick together in these dark times. I'm your sister so I have to support you, especially because our once big family is not so big anymore. Arator, Raesh, Giramar, Galadin, Rhonin, Zendarin, Kelrian, father, you and I are the only ones who are left. The rest is either dead or undead. Before the Second War, our family consisted of over one hundred and fifty members. Now only a small fraction of our family is left," told the silver-haired woman.

"You are right, Vereesa. Sticking together is more important than ever in these dark times."

Vereesa didn't respond. She just sat there and regarded her older sister who looked sadder than before. Alleria was silent for a few minutes but then she started to speak. "I accepted Kael'thas' offer to become the Regent Lady because our people needed an experienced leader in these dark times. He knew there was no one better suited for this position than me. I have by far the most experience in all important aspects. I could have refused it but I didn't. I accepted the position for the greater good but mostly because I had the assumption that mother would have wanted me to do that. I have already refused to become the Ranger-General so I couldn't refuse this position too. It didn't feel right to reject his request."

Alleria made a small pause and then continued. "I owe it to Sylvanas. If I wouldn't have turned down my mother's request to succeed her, Sylvanas would have never become Ranger-General. She would have never led the troops in battle against the undead. She wouldn't have refused to retreat, she wouldn't have tried to defend the Second Gate by very means. She would have gone to Windrunner Village and Windrunner Spire to evacuate the inhabitants there. She wouldn't have died if I would have been Ranger-General..."

Vereesa raised an eyebrow, a confused expression could be seen on her beautiful face. "Are you implying that you feel responsible for Sylvanas' death? If you really think that then you are wrong. Sylvanas didn't die because she was Ranger-General. She died because Arthas murdered her. He is the only one who is responsible for her death. It's not your fault, sister. Don't blame yourself for her death, please. We lost so many good rangers during the invasion. She could have died too if she wouldn't have been Ranger-General. Her position wouldn't have mattered. Even as a Ranger-Captain, she would have refused to retreat and would have stayed to buy our people as much time as possible."

Vereesa put her hands on Alleria's cheeks, forcing her to look at her. She could see tears in the corners of Alleria's eyes. They didn't leave her eyes but they were still there. Alleria was very emotional and all Vereesa could do was to look at her and say soothing words to her. She managed to calm down her sister and prevented her from crying.

She walked around the desk and pulled her sister from her chair, hugging her. Alleria put her head on Vereesa's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her sister's upper body. She hugged her tightly and inhaled her lovely perfume, relaxing in her arms. They stayed like this for a while, the silence between them was comfortable.

They pulled away eventually, looking at each other. The silence between them was anything but comfortable this time. Alleria cleared her throat, putting one of her hands on the back of her head. Her voice was still thin but it no longer sounded sad. "Anyway... I'm glad I accepted Kael'thas' request. He was right about me being suited for this position. I think I'm doing my job well."

Vereesa gave her an agreeing nod. "You are."

Alleria sat down on her chair and Vereesa sat on the edge of her desk, regarding her older sister curiously. "Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage wants to visit Silvermoon," Alleria said.

Vereesa's eyes widened in surprise. "For real?"

Alleria nodded. "He agreed to form an alliance with us. He wants to visit Silvermoon and so we can talk about the details of our alliance."

"What about the humans and the dwarves?" Vereesa asked curiously.

"I sent messengers to Stormwind and to Ironforge but I didn't receive a reply yet. We have to be patient."

"When will we meet with Sylvanas?"

Alleria shrugged. "I have no idea, to be honest. I will send word to Sylvanas that we are interested to meet her. We have to wait for her reply. We already know that she wants to work with us. At least if what Lyndia said is true."

"She slew the traitor who let our brother die so I see no reason why Lyndia should lie to us."

"I agree with you, Little Moon. I have no doubt she is on our side but I still remain careful. You have to question everything in these dark times. We can't trust anyone blindly. We trusted Lordaeron and see where it led us. To be fair, nobody would have ever imagined that Arthas would betray his people and his allies. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to be very careful."

"You are right, Alleria. You always are."

Alleria smiled but said nothing in return.

"Would you like to come to Rhonin's and my house? The little ones would be happy to see you."

Alleria nodded. "I think I worked enough for the day. Let's go."

* * *

As usual, Sylvanas sat on her throne and was talking to citizens of Undercity. They asked her numerous questions, questions to which she didn't always have an answer. She helped them as best as she could, comforted them, calmed them down and told them that they didn't need to be worried. She told them that she had everything under control and would do anything to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas. Some people were still worried but she didn't have the time to comfort every single one of them.

She was the queen of Undercity and not a therapist. Even if she would have the time, she wouldn't listen to every single one of them. Fortunately for her, Varimathras was there. He was usually the one who listened to the citizens when Sylvanas was busy or was not in the mood to listen to them. At this very moment, he was talking to a female Forsaken that had been a human in life. Sylvanas had no idea what they were talking about but that didn't bother her.

Sylvanas heard footsteps near the entrance to the throne room. She turned her head, spotting Lyndia who had just entered the room. She was uninjured and her clothes were still intact, telling Sylvanas that no big incidents had occurred during her journey. A small smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips as she gestured her niece to come to her. Lyndia obeyed and walked over to her, lowering her head in respect when she arrived. "I'm back, aunt."

"I assume your mission was successful," said Sylvanas.

"It was."

"What did my sister say? How did she behave?"

"She was careful at first but then she opened herself a little. She didn't say it but I got the impression that she misses you. She told me that she wants to see you."

"So she agrees to a meeting?" Sylvanas asked curiously.

"Well, she said to me she wants to speak to aunt Vereesa first and then she will send a message to you," the half-elf explained.

Sylvanas nodded. Deep inside her, she hoped Alleria would agree on a meeting. She would never admit to anyone that she missed her sisters and the rest of her family. She missed her children and Kelrian. She missed every member of her family. She knew that they would never be the close family they had once been again, but she wanted to see them at least. She wanted to know how they were doing.

"Good," was everything Sylvanas said in return.

"Aunt Alleria told me to give you something that belongs to you."

Sylvanas tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Lyndia took her backpack from her back and opened it, fishing out a little black box. She handed it over to Sylvanas who took it and regarded it curiously. She looked back at Lyndia. "What is it?"

"Open it and see for yourself, aunt."

Sylvanas opened it a little, her eyes widened as she saw what it was. She closed it immediately and got up from her throne, walking away quickly without telling anyone what was going on. The gazes of several Forsaken rested on her as she left, confusion was reflected by their faces. Sylvanas left the throne room and went to her private chamber, ignoring the facial expressions of the guards in front of it. She pushed the door open and slammed it behind her. She went to her desk and sat down on a chair.

She unfolded her hands, looking at the small box. She didn't do anything for the first few minutes but then she opened it and regarded the object in it. It was a ring. A special ring. It was a silver ring with a blue crystal attached to it. _Faithful Love Will Ever Last_ was engraved in the ring's inside.

It was a wedding ring. Kelrian's wedding ring which he had given to her before he went to Windrunner Spire to bring their family to safety. Arthas had pulled the ring from her wedding finger and had thrown it in the blood-soaked grass before he had ordered his servants to bring her body away. The ring was all that Sylvanas had left of Kelrian. She had no other items that had once belonged to him. No photos or paintings and no jewellery that he had once gifted her. The ring was the only personal item she had carried with her when she had been murdered.

Sylvanas stared at the object. She couldn't believe that she finally had it back. She had thought she had lost it forever. She had ordered Verena and her best dark rangers to search for it but none of them had found it. She had been furious when they had returned with empty hands. She had it back finally. The object she had wanted back so desperately. She had it. Finally.

A tear ran down Sylvanas' cheek as she regarded it. She didn't wipe it away. She didn't need to because it turned to dust before it reached her chin. She had no idea why she was so emotional at this very moment. She hated being emotional but there was nothing she could about it. Memories flooded her mind. Memories about her and Kelrian.

They day they met, the day he became her recruit, the day she visited him in the hospital, their first kiss, their first night, his proposal, their wedding, their wedding night and so many other memories, which meant a lot to Sylvanas, crossed her mind.

Sylvanas couldn't stop herself from breaking out in tears. She missed Kelrian. She missed him so much but she couldn't see him. She had no idea where he was. She didn't know if he was still alive nor did she know if he would ever return. She had no idea if she would ever see him again. Even if she would meet him, she had no idea what will happen.

She was afraid he would reject her. She was afraid he would see her as a monster and would choose someone else over her. She was afraid he would prefer being together with a living person than with an undead corpse like her. She was afraid that Elena had already seduced him and made him hers. She knew she had promised him to move on but she no longer wanted to see him with another woman. She wanted him all for herself. She didn't want to share him with a whore like Elena. She hated that woman more than anyone else.

She was sad. Jealous and sad. She hoped that Elena would just vanish so that she could have Kelrian for herself. She wouldn't mind if Elena would die in one of the battles she would attend in the future. Deeply inside her, she hoped something bad would happen to Elena. Even if she would have to kill Elena herself... It would be a necessary step to win Kelrian for herself. She wouldn't shrink back from doing extreme things to achieve her goals.

Sylvanas wiped the tears from her face and got up from her chair. She regarded the ring, debating if she should put it on her finger or not. She took it out of the box and put it on her palm. The ring was cold but not as cold as her skin. She regarded it for a few minutes and ran her fingers over the crystal. She put it back in the box and closed it. She opened one of the drawers of the desk and put the box in it. She hesitated for a short moment before she closed the drawer and locked it.

She walked to the door and left the room without hesitation.

* * *

They stood on top of the Black Temple and regarded their surroundings. Rocks were floating in the air, the sky was blood red but partly covered by clouds. It seemed that a storm was coming. Kelrian had never seen a storm on Outland before. At least not a natural storm. This storm didn't seem to be natural, the origin was definitely magical. Someone or something was creating it but he had no idea who or what was responsible for that. He felt a powerful aura. A very powerful aura that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Something terrible is drawing near," Kelrian muttered and turned his head to look at those standing near him. Illidan, Tyrande, Lady Vashj and his father were standing there and looking at the horizon. A bright light appeared out of nowhere and blinded him and the other. The bright light vanished eventually but the elves and the naga had to wait for a few more seconds until their vision was normal again.

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the tall creature standing in front of them. It was not standing on top of the Black Temple. It was standing on the ground behind it. It was double the size of the temple, its skin was dark red and its body was covered by black-golden armour. Huge horns came out of its head, four tendrils came out of its chin. It had huge wings, a tail and hooves instead of feet. It was a male and he didn't look pleasured.

"Kil'jaeden...," Illidan whispered quietly. Kelrian looked at his master, noticing that he looked scared. He had never seen Illidan scared before, he had always believed that he was fearless. It seems he had been wrong. Illidan was afraid of that demon.

Kil'jaeden stepped closer to the temple, putting one of his hands on the top. "Illidan...You failed to destroy the Frozen Throne as I commanded. And still, you thought to hide from me in this forsaken backwater. I thought you to be more cunning."

Illidan was shaking, his voice was trembling. "Lord Kil'jaeden... I was merely set back. I was attempting to bolster my forces. The Lich King will be destroyed, I promise you."

Kil'jaeden tilted his head a little. "Oh really?" He let his eyes wander over those who accompanied Illidan, taking a close look at them. "These servitors you've gathered show some promise. I will give you one last chance, Illidan. Destroy the Frozen Throne, or face my eternal wrath." His voice sounded dangerous and threatening.

He regarded Illidan for the last time before he disappeared suddenly. Illidan was silent so was everyone else. Tyrande stepped to him and regarded him, a worried expression could be seen on her face. "That was your former master, right?" she asked.

Illidan nodded. "I thought by closing all portals and taking control over Outland, I could hide from him but he found me nevertheless and even managed to set foot on Outland. I have no idea how he managed to do that..."

Tyrande put her hand on his left cheek. Her touch and her presence were enough to comfort him. "We are here for you and support you whenever we can," she said softly. Illidan nodded at her and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it. He didn't care that Lady Vashj, Kael'thas and Kelrian were seeing them. It was just a matter of time until someone would find out about his relationship with Tyrande. He couldn't hide it forever, so he didn't care that they were seeming him and Tyrande being so close.

"We have no other choice than obeying your former master, right?" asked Tyrande.

Illidan sighed. "We have to obey him but that shouldn't be a problem because all of us want to destroy the Lich King. We have to succeed if we don't want to face Kil'jaeden's wrath."

"Arthas has to pay for his crimes," said Kelrian. "He has to pay for destroying Quel'Thalas and killing ninety percent of its population. He has to pay for corrupting the Sunwell and taking away this essential source of power from us. He must pay for all that he has done".

Illidan nodded. "He will pay," he said determinedly. "Are you ready to follow me into the cold heart of death itself?"

Lady Vashj and Kael'thas came closer to Illidan. "The naga are yours to command, Lord Illidan. Where you go, we follow," said the serpent.

"The blood elves are yours, as well, master. We will drive the Scourge before us and shatter the Frozen Throne as you command."

A small smile appeared on Illidan's lips. "Then we shall prepare our forces and set off to Azeroth. To Northrend."


	39. The Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit sexual content. If you don't want to read it, then skip everything that is written in italic.

_Kelrian couldn't sleep. He had no idea why but he couldn't fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried it. He had changed his sleeping position several times but nothing had changed. Putting his head on the other side of the bed hadn't help either. He was not allowed to get any sleep._

_He was asking himself what the reason for his sleeplessness was._ _It was not his first night in Undercity and he had managed to get enough sleep in the past nights, so the capital of the Forsaken itself could not be the reason for his lack of sleep. He had even put a spell on himself so that he was able to bear the horrible stench of the undead. The smell in Undercity was worse than the smell of any liquid manure pit. He wouldn't survive there for a single hour without the spell._

_All Kelrian could do was to lie in bed and figure out the reason why he couldn't sleep. He came to no conclusion. He had no idea what was wrong this night. Kelrian had no idea how much time had passed as he heard quiet footsteps. Someone was near his room. He heard the quiet crack of the door when it was opened and someone stepped inside. The footsteps were so quiet that he could only hear them due to his sensitive elven ears. Any other humanoid creature wouldn't have heard them._

_Kelrian had his eyes closed, one of his hand grabbed the dagger beneath his pillow. He was ready to defend himself. The person stopped and Kelrian felt a hand touching his face. A cold hand. The hand caressed his cheek for a moment then it wandered. Kelrian reacted quickly as the person pulled his blanket away. He shot up and held the dagger to the creature's throat who froze in her movement._

_His green eyes found the red ones of the creature in front of him. Crimson red eyes beneath which marks could be found. Her face was familiar. Light blue skin, dark blue full lips, long elven ears and pale blonde hair that was mostly hidden beneath a red hood. She was an undead elf._

_"Sylvanas," Kelrian whispered. He didn't say anything else nor did he remove the dagger. He stared into her eyes and so did she. Her glance was cold and her expression neutral. It didn't seem to bother her that Kelrian was pressing a dagger against her neck._

_"Kelrian," she said eventually, her eyes didn't leave his face. She took a closer look at his handsome facial features. His skin was a bit paler than it used to be in the past and his eyes were green instead of sky-blue but other than that he hadn't changed at all. His hair was still combed to the side, but to the right instead of the left._

_"What are you doing in my room?" he asked but Sylvanas didn't respond to him. She put her hands on his cheeks, noticing that he didn't flinch. Her hands were ice cold but that didn't bother him. The fel magic that was running through his veins kept him warm. He hadn't even been cold when he had followed his father and Illidan to Northrend to find Arthas. The fel changed him so had something else. Something he hadn't told anyone yet. Not his son and not even his father. Nobody was aware of his secret. Of the pact he made._

_"I wanted to see you," she replied after almost five minutes._

_Kelrian smirked. "Well, here I am."_

_Sylvanas remained silent._

_Kelrian removed the dagger and put his hand beneath her chin, running his thumb over her jawline, then he put it on her bottom lip and pressed it gently. "I think I know exactly why you came here. I know what you want."_

_Sylvanas tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"_

_Kelrian stood up and lifted her chin so that they didn't break eye contact. His body had become taller since he had started to consume fel magic. He had grown for four inches and his body was more muscular than before. He was seven feet and a one inch tall. He was taller than the average female night elf and two inches smaller than the average male night elf. He was much taller than an average male blood elf so was Sylvanas but she was nine inches smaller than him. Kelrian had always been taller than her but now the difference between them was larger than before._

_Kelrian smirked. He was more confident than ever. "I do."_

_Sylvanas raised the other brow. "And what do you think I want?" she asked irritated._

_"You didn't just come to look after me. You came because you want a piece of me. You came because you want ME," Kelrian said and made a large step backwards, presenting his nude body to Sylvanas. He smirked as he noticed that her eyes wandered. They roamed over his muscular body, rested long on his muscular stomach and then fell on a certain area. Her eyes widened._

_"As you can see, EVERY part of my body became larger. You can do so much with the help of fel magic. I didn't use the fel magic to change my body, it changed by itself. For the better," he smirked and put his hand under her chin. Sylvanas' crimson red eyes still rested on the area between his legs. She just couldn't take her eyes off it. She didn't know how much time had passed as Kelrian lifted her chin and forced her to look back at him. She didn't miss the wide grin on his lips._

_"Your body is thoroughly fit and I know that you have been blessed by nature with that big thing between your legs. And now it is even larger. It is true that I wonder how it must feel...," Sylvanas replied and took a step closer to him, putting one of her hands on his muscular chest. She came closer and closer and stepped on her tiptoes but she was still not able to reach his mouth. He had to lower his head so that she could kiss him on the lips._

_Sylvanas raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, giving him an expecting look. Kelrian lowered his head and allowed her to press her lips on his. Her lips were cold as ice but that didn't bother the blood elf. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, putting his hands on her cheeks. He rubbed them carefully._

_He bit her bottom lip softly, demanding entrance and Sylvanas parted her lips, allowing him to insert his tongue. His tongue brushed past hers and started to explore her mouth. It had been a while since he had kissed her and inserted his tongue in her mouth, so he enjoyed every single moment. His heart was beating faster, his skin tingled in anticipation. If Sylvanas would still be alive, her heart would also beat rapidly but she was undead, so it wasn't beating. Nevertheless, she had the impression for a short moment that it would almost start beating again._

_Sylvanas didn't hesitate for too long to insert her tongue in his mouth, fighting with his tongue for dominance. She had expected to win so she was really surprised that his tongue dominated hers. The kiss lasted as long as possible. Sylvanas didn't want to end it but she knew Kelrian still needed to breathe so she had to allow him to pull away._

_Kelrian was out of breath and needed nearly a minute to calm down. His eyes rested on Sylvanas, noticing the small smile on her lips. He could see in her eyes that she had enjoyed it as well. "You are wearing too much clothing for my liking," Kelrian said and pointed at her outfit. "This need to go."_

_If Sylvanas was surprised, she didn't show it. When she had been alive, he had never demanded her to do anything. He had always let her do what she wanted to do. She had been the one in control. Kelrian had changed. She strongly believed that he was no longer the cautious lover she had fallen in love with. It seemed that he wanted to be active too. Sylvanas didn't mind that but at the same time, she didn't want to give him full control. She had to be careful that he wouldn't dominate her. She had to make sure things wouldn't go out of hand._

_Sylvanas obeyed this time. She pulled her hood down, allowing Kelrian to examine her pale blonde hair. Kelrian ran his fingers through her hair, toying with a few strands. He brought a strand of hair to his nose and sniffed. In life, her hair had always smelled so good. Mostly after peaches or elderberry. In death, her hair smelled of nothing. Kelrian removed his hand eventually and lowered his head, staring at her torso. She removed her upper body armour slowly and then her black bra, freeing her D-cup breasts._

_Kelrian didn't wait for Sylvanas' permission to touch her. He put his hands on her breasts without hesitation, kneading them softly. Her voluminous breasts were cold but very soft. He kept staring into her eyes as he kneaded them softly at first and a bit rougher later. Kelrian smirked as he noticed that her nipples had gotten stiff in the meantime. "Look what we have here. The mighty Banshee Queen is horny. Don't worry, Sylvanas. I will make you feel good."_

_He lowered his upper body a little and leaned in, burying his head in her neck. He started to kiss her neck but not too tenderly, marking her that way. He didn't care that others might see her love bites if she wouldn't cover her neck with something. Her cold skin still felt a bit strange to him but he was sure he would get used to it quickly. Sylvanas' lips were parted, her head was tilted to give him better access to her neck. The first quiet moan escaped her lips as Kelrian put her nipples between two fingers and kneaded them._

_Sylvanas noticed that she was getting wetter and wetter the longer he did that. Kelrian knew what he had to do to make her feel good. He had collected lots of experience in the eighteen years they had been together. Her body hadn't changed at all so he knew where he had to touch her. He still remembered that her nipples were very sensitive just like her ears. He let his mouth wander, reaching one of her long ears. He kissed it, licked it and even bit it gently, causing another moan to escape her lips. He did the same with the other._

_His left hand wandered, stroking her flat belly for a few minutes before it reached the waistband of her leggings. He had no problem sneaking his hand in her leggings but he didn't stop there. He also sneaked it beneath her panties. The corners of his lips formed a wide grin as he noticed how wet she was. "You are so wet, you filthy slut. I'll have no trouble getting my fingers inside you," he whispered in her ear. He pressed his thumb on her clit, causing her legs to tremble for a short moment._

_"I know you like that, you dirty slut."_

_Sylvanas didn't respond._

_"Say that you like it and I do the next step," Kelrian said demandingly. Sylvanas didn't say anything at first so Kelrian increased the pressure on her clit, rubbing it with two fingers. As expected, this made Sylvanas only wetter and increased the pleasure she was feeling. She bit her bottom lip softly, preventing any moans from escaping her lips. She still didn't say anything so Kelrian started to knead her love bud, toying with it until she couldn't take it anymore. "I like it...Please, don't stop."_

_A triumphing grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. He pulled his head back from her neck and removed his right hand from her breast, putting it on her back. He ogled her melons shamelessly and shifted his gaze to her face, noticing that she was biting her bottom lip hard. She was really enjoying what he was doing with his hands._

_He was wondering what kind of facial expression she would make when his massive thing would enter her. He had to wait for that a bit longer because he didn't intend to give her his dick so quickly. She would have to beg first and earn the right to feel his member inside her. She had to work for it first. But for now, it was still his turn to make her feel good._

_He started to run the tip of his index finger over her wet pussy lips, noticing that her body trembled a little. He was looking forward to turning her world upside down soon. She wouldn't be able to get enough of him once he would be inside her, he was sure of that._

_Kelrian added a second finger and later a third, watching her expression while he was caressing her slick folds. Sylvanas' half-closed eyes rested on his face. He was a lot more self-confident than before her death. He knew what he had to do and how far he could go. He would have never dared to tease her, to make her wait or to make her beg in the past. But since he had changed, he did that because he knew he could. He knew his limits._

_He lowered his head and began to suck on her left breasts in the same moment as his index finger entered her needy pussy. Even though Sylvanas was biting her bottom lip hard, she couldn't prevent a quiet moan from escaping her lips. He had always been skilled with his fingers and it seemed he had gotten better over the past years. His fingers rubbed against her tight walls which were getting used to his fingers quickly. He pumped them in and out slowly, almost reaching her g-spot. Her moans became louder the longer he did that._

_Kelrian could tell by the way her body reacted that she was close to her climax. It was still weird to him to not hear her fast and loud breathing when she was so close. But he could tell by the way she rocked her hips against his fingers that she would climax the next moment. He knew he could pull his fingers out and deny her the orgasm to make it much better when he would shove his dick in her pussy. He knew Sylvanas wouldn't like if he would deny it. He was in control, so he could do that but he didn't._

_He pumped his fingers in and out rapidly, biting the tip of her left ear softly. It was hard. As hard as her nipples. Sylvanas couldn't last much longer. A loud cry escaped her lips as she came, making Kelrian grin widely. Kelrian watched Sylvanas riding out her orgasm. Her eyes had stared into his eyes the whole time when waves after waves of pleasure had been shot through her body. She had never imagined he would make her feel so good just by using his fingers. He was much better than Verena._

_Kelrian pulled his fingers out of her pussy, smiling as he noticed the sticky liquid that stuck on them. "Look what you did, Sylvanas. My fingers are sticky. You can guess three times who has to clean them."_

_Sylvanas nodded her head barely, signalizing him that she knew what to do. She took his hand and brought it to her lips, licking over his fingers a few times before she put them in her mouth. Kelrian's eyes bored into hers as he watched her sucking on his fingers. It looked so sexy. Sylvanas pulled them out as soon as she was done. "Are you happy now?"_

_Kelrian chuckled. "Well, not quite. There is something else you could work on with your pretty mouth," he said and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Sylvanas' gaze fell on his huge cock and rested there for a while before it wandered back to his face._

_"Fine, I will do it but if you think I do everything you demand from me, you are wrong," Sylvanas replied. She got on her knees and put a hand on his huge erected cock, making it twitch a little under her cold touch. She didn't let him wait for too long and started to rub his dick slowly. Kelrian's eyes rested on her, no sounds escaped his lips. Not yet._

_Sylvanas put her other hand around his cock and started to move them faster. Her cold hands were making him feel good. A quiet moan escaped his lips eventually, making Sylvanas smile. She had expected to hear this sound from him very soon because she knew she was good at pleasuring him. Death hadn't changed her capability to make him feel good. She was very good with her hands and even better with her mouth._

_Sylvanas brought the tip of his cock to her mouth and licked over it, making it twitch a little. Another moan, which was louder than the previous one, escaped his lips. Sylvanas was looking forward to making him moan more often. She was looking forward to taking his huge cock in her mouth but she didn't do it immediately. She continued to lick over his glans with her tongue while her hands were still rubbing his long shaft. As expected, his moans became more frequent and louder but not frequent and loud enough for Sylvanas' liking._

_She wanted to hear a melody of moans escaping his lips. She wanted to prove to him that she was still as good as she had been in life. She wanted to prove that she was much better than Elena. Better in everything. She gave his dick a few more strokes before she opened her mouth and inserted the tip of his dick, slowly inserting more of his long shaft until her mouth was full. She let her skilled tongue lick over his dick, her crimson eyes rested on Kelrian's face. His eyes were half-closed but still rested on her, one of his hands rested on her head and pulled slightly on her hair. The facial expression he made was proof enough that he enjoyed her oral pleasuring._

_She had wanted to keep pleasuring him like this but Kelrian had other plans. He put his other hand beneath her chin, then he repositioned himself a little before he lifted her chin and pushed his dick as deep in her throat as possible. If Sylvanas would still be alive she might have chocked but because she didn't need to breathe, her gag reflex was no longer intact. She had no problem having every single inch of his member in her mouth and throat. She continued to lick his shaft with her tongue, staring at him while she was deepthroating him._

_Kelrian felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest, his skin tingled excitingly and more moans escaped his lips which became louder over time. His fingers were tangled in her hair and pulled on it slightly, his other hand caressed her cold cheek._

_Sylvanas didn't need long to bring him close to his climax. She was an expert at giving him blowjobs. In life, she had often done it when she had been too busy with work to have ordinary sex but had still wanted to satisfy Kelrian's sexual needs. She had always enjoyed the taste of his dick and she enjoyed it even in death. She wondered what his sperm would taste like now that she was dead. She was looking forward to finding it out._

_She didn't need long to bring him over the edge. His breathing was loud and fast, he pulled on her hair much tighter than before and then his warm dick started to twitch until a sticky liquid shot out. The corners of her lips formed a smile as she heard him cry out her name. His dick stopped twitching eventually and he didn't hesitate to pull it out._

_"That was tasty," Sylvanas said and got up, putting her hands on his cheeks._

_"I nearly forgot how good you are with your mouth," Kelrian admitted._

_Sylvanas just smirked and said nothing in return._

_"Seems you deserve a reward, Sylvanas," Kelrian said and wrapped his left arm around her waist. He lifted her up with no problem and carried her to the bed, placing her on top of it. Sylvanas spread her legs and bit her bottom lip softly. Anticipation was reflected by her red eyes._

_"Come on, Kelrian. My pussy is already awaiting your thick dick."_

_Kelrian didn't need to be told twice. He sat between her legs and put his dick on her wet southern lips, rubbing it against them. He noticed the impatience in her eyes but that didn't stop him from teasing her a little. Only when her eyes narrowed, he decided to stop teasing her. He had no problem sliding his dick in her needy pussy. Her inner walls tightened around his dick, making him feel good and letting a few moans escape his lips. But not only his. A loud moan escaped her lips as the tip of his cock hit her g-spot for the first time. Her pussy was full but Kelrian's dick was so huge that not everything fit in her._

_"By the Sunwell... You are so tight, Sylvanas," he moaned out._

_Sylvanas grinned. "I know how much you like tight pussies, Kel. I know you love my body. Admit it."_

_Kelrian stared into her eyes. "You are so beautiful and your pussy feels so good."_

_"You are more handsome than ever. The fel made you more attractive than you were before."_

_Kelrian grinned. "I know. I saw how wide your eyes became when you saw my large dick. You are a very naughty person, Sylvanas. I bet you are very good to fuck." He pulled his dick out a little and then slammed into her cave, making her moan loudly. Kelrian grinned. "Oh, you liked that, you little slut."_

_Sylvanas' eyes narrowed a little. "Less talking, more doing."_

_Kelrian chuckled and slammed his dick in her again, causing that another moan escaped her lips but also his. His eyes rested on her large breasts which Sylvanas was cupping and kneading softly. The tip of his cock hit her g-spot again. And again. And again. He was pumping his dick in and out in a fast rhythm._

_But that was not all he was doing. He put his right hand on her neck and exerted pressure. He choked her but not too hard and she enjoyed the additional kick it gave her. His strong hand around her neck, his massive cock in her pussy. That was everything she wanted. She wanted him so badly. She wanted to feel the tip of his cock against her g-spot as often as possible. She didn't want him to stop penetrating her and he had no intention to stop._

_His dick went wild in her, her frequent moans turned into a melody and his moans became were loud and frequent. She felt so good around his dick. There was nothing he wanted to do more than fucking Sylvanas until she couldn't take it anymore. But she hadn't reached that point yet. She still had enough stamina to hold out. She didn't want what to stop what they were doing. Feeling him inside her was the best feeling she had felt since she had broken free from the Scourge._

_They remained in this position for a while, staring in each other's eyes. Kelrian removed his hand from her throat and laid on top of her, making sure that he was not hurting her. He was much taller and heavier than her but Sylvanas didn't feel any pain. She was trapped beneath his massive body but she had no desire to get him off her. She just wanted him to keep making her feel good. She wanted her lower desires to be satisfied by him._

_Kelrian started to kiss the other side of her neck which wasn't marked yet and left many love bites there. He didn't stop pumping his dick in and out. The melody of moans that escaped her lips was music to his ears. He didn't stop making her feel good until he couldn't take it anymore. His dick twitched for the second time of the night and his sperms shout out and filled Sylvanas' core._

_His chest rose and fell. He was breathing heavily. He was exhausted because Sylvanas had really pushed him to his limits. He had filled her up with his cum. Normally, he would ask her if she took the pill but he didn't need to ask her this time because there was no way she could get pregnant. She was dead and will never be able to give birth to a child again._

_Kelrian laid on her for a few minutes and then got up from her, pulling his still stiff dick out. His gaze fell on Sylvanas' pussy out of which a small amount of cum was flowing out. He had released an extra-large load of cum inside her. "That was wonderful," said Kelrian and set next to Sylvanas who was frowning at him. An irritated look could be seen on her face but he didn't approach her about that._

_"What are you doing?" asked Sylvanas._

_Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"_

_Sylvanas tilted her head. "We are not done here!"_

_Kelrian chuckled. "I am done as you have noticed. I filled your filthy pussy with my cum."_

_"I'm not done. I didn't reach my second orgasm yet."_

_Kelrian shrugged. "And that should bother me?"_

_Sylvanas' eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious..."_

_Kelrian gave her a mischievous grin. "Well...I have enough for the night but if you want to reach your second orgasm, you have two options. Either you toy with your clit until you come or... You beg me to make you come."_

_Sylvanas' eyes narrowed. Her voice sounded shrill and outrageous. "I do not beg. At least not twice in the same night."_

_Kelrian gave her an amused look. "Big ego, hm? Your pride is standing in your way... Too bad. You know your options so make your choice."_

_"You want to be the dominant one, right? I'm sorry to tell you this but that role doesn't fit you. That's my role, it has always been."_

_"Times change, so do people. I no longer want to be the one who is getting dominated. I want us to be equal when we make love."_

_"Equal? Do you mean that we should switch roles from time to time?"_

_Kelrian snapped his fingers. "That's it."_

_Sylvanas tilted her head. "Fine, I allow you to be the dominant one this time but next time I'm in control. Is that clear?"_

_Kelrian grinned. "Sure. I can live with that."_

_"Good," Sylvanas said quietly and smiled at him._

_"Now beg me to fuck you," Kelrian demanded._

_Sylvanas sighed. It was not easy for her to speak the following words. "Please fuck me, Kelrian and allow me to cum on your thick dick."_

_A triumphing grin appeared on the blood elf's lips. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now turn around and get on your knees, banshee."_

_Sylvanas obeyed and pointed her well-formed ass at him. Kelrian didn't hesitate to get over to her and put his cock on her ass. He groped her butt cheeks for nearly three minutes before he showed mercy and inserted his dick in her pussy. He pressed her upper body down, pressing her head against the mattress as he took her from behind. His pumps were fast and strong, his fingers were toying with her clit and made her feel much better than she already did. He stimulated her clit while he shoved his dick in and out. He loved the sounds she made. These sounds were not as lovely and pleasant to hear as the sounds she had made in life but he still enjoyed to hear them._

_Sylvanas held out much longer than expected. He had just wanted to make her cum but before he managed to achieve that, he came for the third time of the night. His climax triggered her orgasm. She rocked her hips against his dick, riding out her orgasm slowly._

_Kelrian pulled his dick out when she was done, noticing that it became slack. He had reached his limit. Sylvanas turned around and grin. "2 to 3. Seems I've won. I made you come three times while you only made me come two times."_

_Kelrian raised an eyebrow playfully. "This is not a contest, Sylvanas."_

_The undead elf nodded. "I know but still." She paused. "It was wonderful. I'm looking forward to doing it again."_

_"Your pussy is still the best so I have no reason to deny your request. Feel free to come to me whenever you want."_

_Sylvanas got up from the bed and picked up her clothes. "I will but next time I will be in charge otherwise..."_

_"You won't come to me and go to Verena instead?"_

_Sylvanas said nothing._

_"If it makes you happy to be the dominant one then you can be in charge the next time."_

_Sylvanas smiled. "Good." She put on her clothes and looked at him for the last time before she left his room and closed the door behind her._

Kelrian woke up with a start and sat up quickly, checking his surroundings. His tent was not illuminated but he still could see everything around him. He was alone in his tent. Elena hadn't dared to sneak in his tent like the previous night. She had learned from her mistakes. She had learned it the hard way. Elena had tried to force her will upon him once again.

Kelrian had not just walked away like the last time. He had had a serious conversation with her which had ended with him telling her that he will break up with her. Elena had been shocked and had loudly protested but Kelrian had frozen her feet and walked away. He couldn't believe Elena had changed so much. He still couldn't believe she had become a totally different person. He had no idea why she had changed so much.

She had been a very affectionate person. She had been so sweet and innocent. But she had changed. She had become a very arrogant, jealous and violent person. A person who freaked out when she didn't get what she wanted. She had changed to a real bitch. He was sure the fel energy was responsible for that. He had no other reasonable explanation for their drastic change.

He was worried about his brethren who had also consumed fel energy. He was worried about the consequences of the fel energies. He was afraid that his brethren would change as negatively as Elena had. He felt betrayed. His father had told him that the felstones were good for the sin'dorei and he had believed him. But it was not his father's fault.

Lord Illidan was the one who had told his father to absorb the energies storied in felstones. He had told them that these stones will satisfy their hunger but he hadn't told them about the side effects. He hadn't told him about the drastic changes that could occur.

Kelrian could only hope that Elena had been a special case and that most blood elves would experience no bad side effects. His people had already suffered enough, so he didn't want them to suffer more. He was their prince so he had every reason to be worried about them. He was also worried what the fel magic would do to him. Will he become a real asshole like Elena or will he be different? Will he change or will the fel not affect him at all?

He hadn't noticed yet that other blood elves had changed as well. Elena was the first one who had changed so drastically. She had been the only one so far. It was not unlikely that the fel will not affect everyone. He could only hope for the best outcome.

He knew it was the best to stop absorbing more fel energy but he had already consumed so much of it. He assumed that it was already too late. All he could do was to stop consuming more fel to prevent his hunger from getting worse. But he also knew what the lack of energy will do to him and his people. It will mean their ends.

Their hunger had gotten worse since they had started to absorb fel energies. Their hunger for magic was stronger than ever. Stopping to absorb these necessary energies will be their doom. They had no other choice than consuming more fel until they would find an alternative. If there was an alternative. They were in the middle of a vicious circle from which they couldn't escape. All they could do was to give in and absorb more energies.

Kelrian's gaze fell on one of these green glowing crystals that stuck out of his backpack. He felt the desire to grab it and absorb its energy but he managed to resist this time. Resisting the urge was usually not very easy. Sometimes the urge was too strong so that he could not stop himself from satisfying his desire. He couldn't stop himself from absorbing more fel energy.

He knew it wasn't good for him and for anyone else but he had no other choice. He was addicted to fel magic and he didn't even deny it. The fel was worse than the worst drug he could imagine. It made him stronger, made him feel better but he could no longer live without it. His body demanded more and more.

He had absorbed the entire portion of a large felstone the previous evening, so he had no urge to absorb more fel at this moment. He was satisfied for the moment but it was only a matter of time until his body would demand more. Kelrian got up from his bed and walked over to the table on which a bowl of water stood. He dipped his face into the water, washed it. He dried his face with a towel and then he went to the nearest chair and took a seat.

The dream he had that night came to his mind. He assumed it was a vision and not just a normal dream. He had had visions before. He had seen Sylvanas fighting Arthas before the invasion had started and he had seen her death after the fall of Silvermoon. He had no doubt that he had abilities no one else had but he had no control over them. He couldn't look into the future or into the past whenever he wanted. He saw things from time to time and he had no control over what he was seeing and when he was seeing things.

He was still surprised by what he had seen in the vision. He had seen Sylvanas but not the Sylvanas he remembered. The Sylvanas he had seen had been dead. Her skin had been light-blue and her eyes had been crimson red. She had changed so much. But so had he. The man in the vision had looked like him. He was sure it was him. He was sure it was a future version of him. The man had been a bit taller and more muscular than him. He had the same face as him, the same green eyes but he had behaved differently. He had been more self-confident. Much more self-confident.

Kelrian didn't know if he would change for the better or for the worse if the vision would come true. He didn't like this version of him. He knew that the line between self-confidence and overconfidence was pretty thin.

There were so many questions in his mind. Many questions to which he had no answers. It was not unlikely that the fel would turn him into this person. Nevertheless, this change would be far better than the change that had happened to Elena. Being very self-confident or even overconfident was much better than being a selfish bitch as Elena was.

He was still thinking about what he had seen in the vision. His future version and Sylvanas had had sex. He was wondering if that meant he would come together with her one day. The way they had made love...Appeared so strange to him. He had the impression that love had played no role there. It seemed to him they just had sex for fun or to satisfy their needs. He doubted that his future version and Sylvanas were in a romantic relationship. The way they had behaved and looked at each other... He was sure they had only felt sexual desire for each other.

He had no idea what he should think about it. It was obvious that this version of Sylvanas was not the Sylvanas he had loved with all his heart. She had changed but so had he. Or will he in this case. He was wondering if there was a small part of the Sylvanas he had known left in the undead Sylvanas. He was wondering if a relationship with her would be possible. He was wondering how kissing her would feel like.

Would it feel good? Or strange? She was a corpse after all. A moving corpse to be exact. He was wondering if having sex with Sylvanas would make him a necrophile. She was dead after all but on the other hand, she was not really dead. She was still alive...More or less. She was not really alive but not really dead either. Her existence was a mystery to him.

Kelrian was sure he would meet her one day. He was hoping he would meet her after they had killed Arthas and destroyed the Frozen Throne. He wondered if killing Arthas and destroying Frostmourne would bring her back somehow. It sounded impossible but he was still hoping that it would happen. He believed in miracles. He never expected to escape from Zul'Aman but he had still managed to do it somehow.

He had already done the impossible one time, so he was hoping he could do it again. He hoped Sylvanas would be alive again if he would kill Arthas, destroy his cursed runeblade and free her soul that way. The chances for that were pretty low but he didn't lose hope. He hoped that the impossible would become possible.

Kelrian got up from his chair and started to get dressed, leaving his tent as soon as he was done. It was still dark outside but he saw no point in lying down in his bed and trying to fall asleep again. He was awake and he wouldn't fall asleep so soon. It was cold outside but that didn't bother him because his clothes kept him warm enough. He was no longer wearing his Ranger-Captain uniform, instead, his clothes resembled those of his father

He wore steel armour that was not too heavy so that he could move freely and act quickly. The armour was enchanted to protect him better from magic, arrows and weapons. A long red cape was attached to his shoulder plates. There was no hood beneath which he could hide his long blond hair. It was exposed and combed to the right side. Just like the hair of his future version. The only difference was that his hair was not as long as the hair of his future version.

Kelrian stomped through the snow that covered the ground until he came to the lookout tower in the east of the base. He climbed on top of it and spotted Vara and three of her rangers. Vara gave him a curious look. "Your shift starts in two hours... What are you doing here so soon?"

"I just woke up and I had the impression that I wouldn't fall asleep again so quickly, so I decided to do something useful in the meantime."

"I see."

Kelrian let his gaze wander but it was too dark to see much. "The nights in Northrend are much darker than in Quel'Thalas. We have to be very careful."

Vara agreed. "It's very dangerous to go outside in the middle of the night. Let's hope our scouts found a place to rest. Who knows how many undead creatures are in Northrend and where they are hiding?"

"Arthas is somewhere in this dull, cold wasteland. We just have to find him and then we will bring him to justice."

Vara nodded. "And then we can finally return to Silvermoon."

"I haven't seen my son for over a year. I can't wait to see him again, the same counts for my sisters-in-law and the rest of my family."

"At least you have someone who waits for you. I have no one left. As you know, my sister died in the Second War and my lover was killed by the Scourge."

Kelrian noticed the sadness in her eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting look. "He was my best friend, so I miss him too. Zetai was a good man. He may have done some questionable things in the past, like killing the wife of Zul'jin as an act of vengeance, but he was a good man after all. He didn't deserve to die by Arthas' hands. Nobody deserved that."

Vara was silent. She stared in the darkness, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face. Kelrian said nothing else. He stood next to her and looked in a different direction. They remained silent until the end of Vara's shift. She patted his left shoulder, muttered a few words to him and then climbed down the lookout tower. The other rangers followed her and were replaced by others. Kelrian was glad that Elena was not among those rangers. He didn't have the nerves to argue with her or bear her bad mood.

The shift ran smoothly, nothing extraordinary happened. The surroundings had been quiet, no animals or undead creature had approached the base. Kelrian left the lookout tower when his shift was over and went to the middle of the base.

The morning had already dawned but the surroundings were barely illuminated by the sun. Northrend was a very cold and dark place. The base was additionally illuminated by torches and magical fires so everyone was able to see where they were walking.

Kelrian spotted his father, Lady Vashj and Illidan in front of Illidan's tent. He walked over to them and greeted them. They greeted him in return. "Have the spies returned? Have they found him?" Kelrian asked curiously.

Illidan nodded. "One of them spotted Arthas and his undead army. They are heading north."

"We have to chase him."

"You, Lady Vashj and Kael'thas will take care of Arthas and his army while Tyrande and I will find a way to destroy the Frozen Throne," explained the demon hunter.

"When will we set off?"

"As soon as we can."

A small smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Perfect. I'm looking forward to meeting this bastard again. But this time, I will kill him."


	40. Long Anticipated Encounter

"The tracks are fresh. They must have taken this way," said Kelrian and pointed at the mountain range to his left.

Tyrande stepped to him and looked at the tracks, then at the mountain range. "Climbing these mountains will cost them a lot of time. They are not very wide, so it will take Arthas' undead army some time to reach the end. We should be faster if we cross the frozen river."

Kelrian gave her a questionable look. "How do you know? This frozen wasteland must be as strange and unknown to you as it is to me."

Tyrande pointed at the magical owl that was sitting on her forearm. "My companion scouted the area. I can see through its eyes."

Kelrian's gaze fell on the frozen river. "Let's hope the ice is thick enough, otherwise... We might have a little problem."

"We have enough shamans and mages who could cast spells to make the ice firmer. I have no doubt we can cross the river without breaking the ice."

"I trust your word, High Priestess. Your word and your ten thousand years of experience."

Tyrande looked at Illidan. "What do you say?"

"We should cross the river, otherwise, we wouldn't be able to catch up with Arthas before he reaches the Frozen Throne. We have to prevent that by any means."

"I agree with you, Lord Illidan," said Kael'thas and stepped to his son. "We should take this way."

"Alright, let's go then," ordered Illidan and set foot on the ice. Mages and shamans cast spell on the ice, making it thicker and stronger. The ice held the weight of all creatures that were following Illidan. He guided them over the wide river to the other side.

The ground on the other side was covered by a thick layer of snow but that was nothing new to the naga and elves. They were already used to the cold climate in Northrend. They wore very thick clothing that was stuffed with animal fur. Those who wore plate armour wore fur clothes beneath it. It was not enough to fight the cold but with the help of some spells, the cold was bearable.

They walked for a while until they came to a crossroad. Tyrande sent her magical owl out, closing her eyes. She was looking through the owl's eyes and scouted the area. She opened her eyes after a while. "Arthas and his undead creatures are moving towards this area. They might arrive in an hour."

"An hour might not be enough to prepare a well-planned ambush but we will give our best," said Kelrian.

"You have to buy us as much time as possible," said Illidan. "Killing Arthas is optional but our main goal is to destroy the Frozen Throne. When the Lich King is gone, Arthas will no longer be empowered, which makes him an easy target for us as much time as possible and kill Arthas if you can. If you won't manage to kill him, you will get the opportunity once we have destroyed the Frozen you kill him when he arrives, it's good too."

"We still have a score to settle with Arthas, so we will give our best."

Illidan looked at the love of his life. "Are you ready, my dear?"

Tyrande nodded, her eyes reflected determination. "I am. Let's go."

Illidan, Tyrande and half of their forces headed to the north while Kelrian, Kael'thas, Lady Vashj and the remaining men took position and made themselves invisible. They hid behind rocks, climbed on the nearest mountains or hid behind erected barriers that will protect them from some spells at least.

Kelrian was on the ground, standing next to his father who carried Felo'melorn in his hand. The ancient runeblade had been reforged half a year ago and Kael'thas had taken practice in close combat since then. As a mage, he didn't have much chances against a death knight in close combat. That was the reason why he had practised every day so that he could keep up with Arthas.

He was looking forward to meeting Arthas again and making him pay for the crimes he committed. So was Kelrian. He wanted to make Arthas pay for murdering his wife and killing ninety percent of the population of his people. Arthas was also responsible for the destruction of the Sunwell and the consequences it had for the sin'dorei. He was responsible for their insatiable hunger for magic and also for their addiction to fel magic.

They had lived in peace but now they were at war because of Arthas' actions. He could have had a peaceful life with Sylvanas. He could have had the life he had always dreamed of. He could have raised a big family with Sylvanas. They had planned to get another child but Arthas had prevented that by killing Sylvanas.

Arthas was not even here and Kelrian already felt the anger rising in him. He wanted nothing more than to rip Arthas' head off and bring it to the capital of Lordaeron where Sylvanas most likely was. He didn't know if the fel was responsible for him feeling so furious, even though he hadn't seen Arthas yet. He doubted it was normal to feel so angry. He knew he had to be careful that the anger wouldn't overwhelm him and let him do something he would regret. Kelrian closed his eyes and took deep breaths until he felt calmer. His heartbeat slowed down eventually.

He opened his eyes and looked at his father who was holding Felo'melorn tightly. His father was nervous, so was everyone else. All of them had waited for this day for so long. They will finally have the chance to bring Arthas to justice. Kelrian wished that Illidan wouldn't have taken half of their forces with him but he understood that he needed them. It was very likely that lots of undead creatures would defend the Frozen Throne. Illidan wouldn't be able to succeed without enough men.

Kelrian waited patiently. Nearly an hour had passed as he heard footsteps. The footsteps became louder. Lots of pairs of feet were hearable. Creatures were stomping through the snow. Hundreds of creatures. A foul smell hit his nose. The smell of death and decay. The stomping became louder and louder until a familiar person came in their sight. Kelrian's eyes narrowed and fell on the death knight.

It was him. Arthas Menethil. A year and a half had passed since he had last seen him. Except for the scars on his cheek, Arthas hadn't changed at all. He had the same silver-white hair and his skin was still pale but Kelrian had the impression that it was a lot paler than the last time he had seen him. Arthas wore the same armour and had the same cursed runeblade on his back.

His facial expression was different. The last time he always had this overconfident, arrogant look on his face. This time, he looked worried. Kelrian was wondering why. He was wondering if Arthas knew about their presence. He was wondering if Arthas knew that Lord Illidan and the High Priestess were in Northrend to destroy the Frozen Throne.

Next to him was a huge creature which had similarities to a scarab. It was larger than any other creature in Arthas' ranks and it looked very dangerous. It had sharp teeth and huge sharp claws. Kelrian knew he should stay as far away from this undead insect as possible. There were smaller versions of this bug in Arthas' ranks. Kelrian had no idea what these creatures were but he had the assumption that Arthas had found them on Northrend. It was not unlikely that they had already belonged to the Lich King's forces before Arthas had set foot on Northrend.

Kelrian turned his head and looked at his father who had a tense expression on his face. The king raised Felo'melorn and started to cast a spell. Kelrian and all the mages in the area did the same. The archers knocked arrows and aimed, waiting for the king's signal. Kael'thas threw a large fireball at Arthas but the death knight noticed it and managed to protect himself with a green barrier he had created at the last moment. The fireball didn't do him any harm to him but Kelrian's arcane blast hit him and threw him off his horse.

Arthas fell and landed on the ground but the thick snow layer softened his fall. He got up quickly and blocked another arcane blast at the last moment. His blue eyes fell on Kael'thas and Kelrian. "Prince Kael'thas," he hissed. "It has been a long time since I last saw you."

"It's King Kael'thas for you, butcher," Kael'thas shouted and prepared the next spell.

"King Kael'thas?" Arthas asked and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I forgot that I killed your father. And now you're following in his footsteps, aren't you? If that's your wish then you can follow him to the grave." Arthas gave his minions the order to attack.

Kael'thas shouted orders, telling his men what to do. Spells and hails of arrows rained down on the undead, killing dozens of them immediately. Fire spread out quickly and ignited creatures which collided with others and ignited them as well. Lots of creatures were turned to ashes quickly but there were still too many of them.

The first undead creatures approached the frontline of the elves and naga, jumping on several creatures. Kelrian cast fire spell after fire spell, he even created felfire which was much deadlier than normal fire. The felfire burned the undead faster and spread out faster. It was a pleasure for him to see these undead creatures burning but his expression was tense nevertheless. He knew he had to be careful. He knew the battle will be bloody. He knew that lots of his comrades will die.

Suddenly, Gargoyles, flying nerubians and even skeletal dragons appeared out of nowhere and attacked the archers and mages on top of the mountains. The elves and naga were either picked up and dropped somewhere by the nerubians and gargoyles or they were frozen by the undead dragons' ice-cold breaths. No one had expected them to have undead dragons. Neither the scouts nor Tyrande's owl had seen any flying creature when they had spotted Arthas and his army. The only logical explanation which came in Kelrian's mind was that the Scourge mages had managed to hide them with spells.

Kelrian had expected the battle to be very close and bloody but now that these flying creatures killed lots of his brethren and allies in a short time, he doubted that his father's forces will be victorious in the end. At least if they wouldn't be able to quickly take down the winged creatures. "Focus the flying beasts first," cried Lady Vashj.

Kelrian focused his power and created a huge felfire pyroblast. He threw it at one of the dragons, hitting it in the chest. The skeletal being cried out in pain as the flames started to consume its body but it was not dead yet. It was able to freeze three naga before it was hit by a lightning strike from Lady Vashj and a fireball from Kael'thas. The dragon was turned to ashes but the sky was not clear yet.

"Clear the sky with the archers and mages, I will take care of Arthas," Kael'thas shouted to his son. Kelrian nodded and prepared the next spell, focusing a gargoyle. One fel fireball was enough to kill it and burn its body. Kelrian killed more of these flying creatures, absorbing energy from felstones whenever he felt exhausted. He had brought enough felstones with him in case the battle would endure longer than a few days.

Kelrian had no idea how much time had passed as he, the remaining mages and archers finally brought down the last flying creature. He wanted to cheer but he knew the battle was far from over. Enough undead creatures remained and he had already lost too many comrades for his liking.

He took a deep breath and turned his head, spotting his father and Arthas in the middle of the battlefield. His father was able to keep up with Arthas. He didn't manage to wound the death knight but at least he managed to block his attacks. To the death knight's surprise, Felo'melorn didn't break like the last time. Reforging it had made it much stronger than before. The two runeblades clashes, both fighters moved quickly and skilfully.

Kael'thas was a great swordsman but he was not as good as Arthas who had been trained by Uther the Lightbringer and Muradin Bronzebeard. The elven king was a powerful mage but he was not as good in close combat as he was in casting spells. He endured for quite some time but he got more and more exhausted the longer the duel lasted.

Kelrian wished he could help his father but too many undead creatures were standing in his way. It was impossible to hit the death knight from his position. All he could do was to fight his way through the mass of undead creatures. He cast spell after a spell, igniting creatures and knocking them away with shockwaves. He got closer to his father and the man he hated more than anyone else, but he was still too far away for his liking.

He knew his father wouldn't win this duel in the long run but there was nothing he could do for him. The undead were in his way. Suddenly, a dozen ghouls were lifted in the air and thrown away. Kelrian turned his head, looking at the creature who had done that. Lady Vashj stood not far away from him and cast the same spell again. "What are you waiting for? Go and help your father," the naga hissed.

Kelrian was surprised that Lady Vashj knew about them being related but he didn't say anything in response. He had not the time to figure out how she could know about this. He had to help his father. Lady Vashj knocked more undead away, so Kelrian was finally able to run to a spot where he had Arthas in his sight. No creature was standing between him and the death knight whose back was turned to him.

Kael'thas laid on the ground and Arthas stood above him, Frostmourne was raised. Arthas would kill his father if he wouldn't do anything. Kelrian didn't hesitate to cast a spell but he was not able to finish it because he was hit by something. Something sticky. A web. One of the nerubians had shot a spiderweb at him which wrapped itself around his body like a cocoon. He couldn't move his arms nor could he walk. Only his head was free. Kelrian tried to get free but it was impossible.

He looked around widely, noticing that a few undead creatures were walking towards him. They were coming closer and closer while he was still trapped. They would kill him if nobody would save him. Arthas would kill his father if nobody would intervene.

Kelrian looked at them, noticing that his father was no longer lying on the ground but he was not standing there either. Kelrian couldn't see him. It seemed that Kael'thas had teleported away. But he hadn't left the battlefield as Kelrian had feared for a moment.

He stood not far away from his son and cast a spell, creating a thick ice wall which divided the battlefield. Arthas and most undead were on the other side of the wall. Kael'thas ordered Lady Vashj to come and help him. The naga obeyed and reached the king and the prince within a few moments. Together they quickly cut the sticky threads and freed Kelrian who quickly realized that he was unable to use magic.

"Dammit, I can't feel the magic inside my body... I can't cast any spells...I'm powerless..."

A worried look could be seen on Lady Vashj's and Kael'thas' faces. "I bet the threads were poisoned. The poison prevents you from casting spells," said the king. He turned his head, noticing that not many of his men were left. "The undead dragons and the other flying beasts killed too many of our men. We're outnumbered."

"We should retreat for now," hissed Lady Vashj.

"The wall won't hold for long. They will chase us... The ghouls are faster than us. They won't take long to catch up to us," said Kelrian, sounding very worried.

"We have no other choice than running. I've examined the effect of nerubian poison that sticks on their webs. The effects should last for a few hours, then you should be able to cast spells again. You have not been bitten by a nerubian, so you won't die. The special poison that stuck to these threads is not mortal. Its only purpose is to prevent the spellcasters from casting spells. That's all it does. You don't have to be afraid that it kills you," explained Lady Vashj.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

"We should split up and go in different directions. Arthas will never expect that. Maybe we can use that to our advantage. Remember that we have to buy as much time as possible."

"Where do we meet again?" Kelrian asked.

"Teleport to the base as soon as you can. We will wait there for Lord Illidan's return," explained his father. He gave the order to retreat and the remaining naga, blood elves and kaldorei ran to him. He informed them about their plan to split up and started moving.

The remaining soldiers formed three groups of similar size. Each group followed one of these paths. Kelrian took the one in the middle, noticing that Elena was in his group. She was injured but still able to run fast enough. He didn't say anything to her nor did he look at her for too long. He averted his gaze and looked ahead as he kept running and running.

* * *

They were surrounded by mountains which they couldn't climb. They were in front of a dead end. There was no way out. All they could do was to go back but that would mean they would run right into the Scourge minions that had been following them for quite some time. They had no other options. They had no other choice than to fight them.

Kelrian felt uncomfortable. He was still unable to use magic. He couldn't feel the magic in his body even though hours had passed since the poisoned threads had come in contact with his body. He felt insecure without his magic. He was very skilled in close combat but he wouldn't be able to do much against a horde of undead if he would only be able to use his spellblade and his sword. He could deal with dozens of undead if he would be able to use magic but without it, he had a big problem.

Kelrian let his gaze wander over those who accompanied him. They looked worried and scared. None of them wanted to die but there was no way to avoid fighting the Scourge. They couldn't run, they couldn't hide and the remaining mages wouldn't have enough time to create a portal to the base. If Kelrian would be able to use his magic, they might have been able to create one in time. They might have been able to escape. Now all they could do was to fight.

The undead caught up to them quickly. There were hundreds of undead creatures. Nerubians, skeletons, liches, necromancers, freshly raised elves and naga and many other ugly creatures. They were led by a masked woman. She was five and a half feet tall and wore black leggings and a black vest. Most of her face was covered by a black mask, only her ice-blue eyes and her long elven ears could be seen. She had pale blonde hair that was made up in a ponytail. The woman carried two daggers in her hands which pommels were skulls.

Kelrian noticed that the woman's gaze rested on him. She didn't say anything as she walked towards him. The creatures she was leading followed her. Kelrian gave the order to attack and drew his sword and his spellblade from his belt.

In this situation, he wished he had taken his bow with him. He had left it on Outland because he had expected to cast spells all the time. He had not expected that this special poison would prevent him from casting spells for several hours. That had been a mistake but it was not the right time to reproach himself for this foolish mistake. He had to remain focused if he wanted to survive. He had to buy as much time as possible and hope the effects of the poison would stop as soon as possible. He needed access to his magic if he wanted to survive.

The battle was bloody and lasted longer than Kelrian had expected. The mages and archers took out the necromancers first and then attacked the liches but there were too many of them. His fellow spellcasters fell one by one until no one was left. Even the archers didn't survive for too long. Only paladins, warriors and rogues were left in Kelrian's group. They fought fiercely so did Kelrian.

He beheaded a ghoul with his spellblade and blocked the attack of a skeleton at the same time. He dodged the skeleton's next attack and cut it in halves. The next enemy approached him. It was a raised naga who tried to skewer Kelrian with its trident but he was too fast for it. The fel had not only made his spellwork deadlier but also made him faster and stronger. He tricked the naga and beheaded it swiftly. The naga stopped moving, collapsed and laid motionless on the ground. Two ghouls ran towards him but they were no match for him. He dispatched them with ease.

He checked his surroundings quickly, noticing that most of his comrades had fallen. The corpses of his comrades and of the bodies of several dozen undead were scattered over the ground. The snow beneath his feet was red. Blood red. His gaze fell on the two remaining members of his group. A myrmidon and Elena.

The male naga charged at the masked woman who avoided his attack with ease and jumped to the side, ramming one of her daggers in his neck at the same time. A loud cry escaped the naga's lips as it turned around and tried to hit the woman but she dodged his attack again. She rammed her other dagger right between the naga's eyes and pulled both of her weapons out.

The naga stopped in his movement, spat a large amount of blood out and then fell forward. His body became limp after the last sign of life had left it. The masked woman jumped to Elena who dropped her bow and pulled her sword from her belt. Elena blocked her first three attacks and even managed to land a hit. She cut through the leather armour of the woman and left a deep cut in her left upper arm. An annoyed hiss escaped the masked woman's lips.

Elena attacked her again but the masked woman dodged successfully. She was moving faster than before and avoided Elena's third attack. She attacked Elena who had problems avoiding her attacks. One of the daggers grazed her face, leaving a deep cut. The other grazed her right forearm, cut through the leather and left a cut as well.

Elena had no chance against the masked woman and Kelrian couldn't help her. Ghouls and skeletons were attacking him, he took them out one by one but there were too many between him and Elena. He couldn't reach her. He couldn't help her. She was on her own.

The masked woman wounded Elena more and more. Even though the fel ran through Elena's veins, she had no chance against the woman who was even faster than her. Elena was one of the fastest rangers who had accompanied Kelrian but she still had no chance against her opponent. The masked woman grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back, ramming one of her daggers in her back. A loud painful cry escaped Elena's lips but she was silenced as the masked woman put her now free hand over her mouth and nose and cut off her air supply.

Kelrian shouted Elena's name but there was nothing he could do for her. He couldn't reach her because the undead were attacking him. He killed more and more undead creatures but there were still too many around him. He couldn't reach her. All he could do was to defend himself. He noticed out of the corners of his eyes that Elena was getting weaker and weaker. She tried to get free but the masked woman was too strong. Elena stopped resisting eventually. She stopped moving, her body became limp.

The masked woman let go of her and pushed her to the ground, regarding her for a few moments before her gaze fell on Kelrian. Kelrian's eyes were widened in shock, his face was as white as chalk and his heart was hammering in his chest. He couldn't believe that had just happened.

The woman had just suffocated Elena. His ex-girlfriend. Elena might have acted like a total bitch in the past weeks but she didn't deserve such a slow and painful death. Nobody did. Kelrian was devasted but he had no time to mourn. He was still surrounded by undead creatures.

He tried to create a fireball but nothing happened. He was still powerless. Alone and powerless. He knew he will die. There was no way he could escape his certain death. He looked around quickly, noticing that the undead minions were not doing anything. They didn't approach him nor did they intend to attack him from afar. They just stood around him in a circle and regarded him. They were not too close to him but not too far away either.

The masked woman stepped in the circle and lifted her daggers on which fresh blood stuck. The blood of many living creatures she had slain. Elena's blood stuck on them too. "What are you waiting for, Scourge whore? You want a piece of me, right? Come and get me, bitch," Kelrian hissed.

The masked woman didn't hesitate to rush over to Kelrian who blocked her first combination of fast attacks. He didn't just block them but he countered them at the same time. He managed to cut through her leather armour with his sword, leaving a long cut in her left hip. A loud hiss escaped the woman's lips.

She was not pleased that he had managed to hit her. She attacked him again and managed to score a hit, leaving a deep cut in his right upper arm. Kelrian bit his bottom lip hard, preventing a painful scream from escaping his lips. She attacked him again, causing him to drop his spellblade as the tip of one of her daggers grazed the back of his left hand.

The masked woman tried to hit Kelrian again but he was still faster than her. He ducked beneath her daggers and hit her head with his elbow, causing it to snap back. He tackled her and threw her to the ground, jumping on her. He pinned her down and prepared a strike with his sword to finish her. The woman dropped her daggers and grabbed his arm, pushing against it with all of her strength to prevent the sword's tip from coming any closer to her masked face.

She was stronger than Kelrian had expected. She managed to prevent his sword from coming closer but she was not strong enough to push it away entirely. Kelrian clenched his free hand and hit her head, hoping she would stop trying to push his arm away.

Painful noises escaped her lips and even blood flowed but she still prevented the sword from coming closer. Kelrian knew that throttling an undead was pointless so he tried to weaken her by hitting her head over and over again. He damaged the mask, cracks appeared in it which became larger the oftener he hit her. The mask broke eventually and the woman's bloody face was revealed.

Kelrian's eyes widened as he recognized the face. It was a familiar face. Her cute nose was broken and her jaw was dislocated but she was still recognizable as the beauty she had been in life even though her skin was pale blue. Kelrian stopped hitting her and he stopped bringing the sword's tip closer to her face. He did nothing but staring at her. He was stunned and the woman used that for her advantage. She picked one of her daggers up and rammed it in Kelrian's right eye.

A painful cry escaped his lips. He was so shocked that he dropped the sword. The woman managed to push him off her but she didn't attack him. She got up and regarded him with narrowed eyes. Kelrian pulled the dagger out of his eye, ignoring the blood that was flowing out and running down his cheek. His good eye was narrowed and rested on his daughter who was giving him a cold look.

He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as best as possible. He pulled a felstone out of his belt bag and consumed the stored energy. Sylvera allowed him to do that. His destroyed eyeball didn't heal but the pain vanished at least. "Sylvera...I thought you were dead," said Kelrian eventually.

Sylvera tilted her head. "I am dead as you can see. You will be dead too soon."

"Then finish me. I rather die by your hands than by one of these mindless wicked creatures."

"I can't. I'm not allowed to take your life," she responded coldly.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked irritated.

Sylvera was silent as she continued to stare at him. She turned her head eventually to look at the person who had just arrived on the battlefield. She knelt down and lowered her head in respect.

"Arthas...," Kelrian hissed and as he noticed the death knight approaching him. A cocky smile could be seen on the human's lips. "Look who's here. Sylvanas' fucktoy. It has been a long time since we last saw each other."

"You will pay for your crimes today, bastard," hissed Kelrian and picked up his spellblade from the ground.

Arthas tilted his head, raising a brow. "Bastard? My parents were married when I was born, just you know."

"You are an abomination Arthas. You destroyed so many innocent lives for nothing. You are responsible for the deaths of over a million creatures. You are no longer the man I have known. You've become a monster, Arthas."

"Abomination, monster, traitor...Do you seriously think I care about these insults? Your harsh words mean nothing to me. All I care about is serving the Lich King and I will kill everyone who dares to get in my way. I will kill everyone who tries to stop the Lich King."

"You may have defeated our forces here but Lord Illidan marches upon the Icecrown Glacier in the meantime. You will never make it in time to save your precious Lich King. Even if you kill me, Lord Illidan will succeed."

Arthas' blue eyes narrowed. "You are bluffing."

Kelrian tilted his head, giving Arthas a sneering grin. "Am I? Are you sure about that?"

Arthas gritted his teeth. "I already wasted enough time with you pathetic elves. It's time to finish this. I wonder how Sylvanas' expression will look like when I send her your head."

Kelrian raised his spellblade. "I wonder how she will react when I bring her yours."

A sound of frustration escaped the death knight's lips as he sprinted towards Kelrian. "FOR QUEL'THALAS," cried Kelrian as he met Arthas in the middle and attacked him. He was fast but not fast enough to hit Arthas. He blocked his attack with Frostmourne, attacking him in return.

Kelrian jumped to the right side at the last moment. Arthas attacked him again and Kelrian blocked it but his spellblade shattered in the process. It was not easy to fight with only one eye, no magic and no useful weapon. He still had Sylvera's dagger but he knew it wouldn't be very useful against a huge sword like Frostmourne.

Nevertheless, Kelrian tried his best. He feinted an attack from the left side and tried to attack him from the right but Arthas had expected that and swung Frostmourne, cutting through flesh and bones. A sharp and loud cry escaped Kelrian's lips. Blood splashed. He staggered backwards, his good eye was widened and rested on his left forearm that laid in the cold snow. Arthas had moved so fast that Kelrian had not seen it coming. The death knight had separated his forearm before he had been able to react.

Kelrian pressed his hand on his arm stump but that was not enough to stop the bleeding or slow it down at least. He was losing blood. Too much blood for his liking. The corners of Arthas' lips formed a mischievous smile as he came closer.

Kelrian backed off, but he had nowhere to run. He was cornered, heavily injured and desperate. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He had put his trust in Illidan's plan but it had backfired horribly. His group was dead. Elena was dead too and he will be dead soon. The worst thing would be if Arthas would raise, which was very likely to happen. He would be forced to serve him just like Sylvera. He would have to kill in the names of Arthas and the Lich King. There was no fate worse than this.

Kelrian had expected that numerous thoughts would go through his mind in the last moments before his death but he could only think about one person. Sylvanas. He had disappointed her. He had sworn to avenge her but he had failed. He wouldn't be able to do that if he was dead. His death would mean that the vision he had seen the previous night would never come true.

He would never meet Sylvanas again, at least as a living person. He may see her again but they would be on different sides then. He would have to fight her one day and he didn't want to do that. He didn't want any of this to happen. He didn't want to die but he had no control over anything. His life was in Arthas' hands and there was no way the death knight would spare him.

Kelrian had his eyes closed, expecting Frostmourne to pierce his flesh and end his life in the next moment. He expected to die in the next moment but nothing happened. Neither did a cold weapon pierce through his body nor did waves of pain rush through his body. Nobody ended his life.

Kelrian opened his good eye, surprise was reflected by his pale face as he noticed that neither Arthas nor any of his minions were around him. He was no longer in the cold lands of Northrend. He was in a dark place. He was still wounded, warm blood was dripping on the floor. What had happened in Northrend had really happened. It had not been a vision.

His comrades and Elena had been killed and his daughter had destroyed his right eye with her dagger. Arthas had cut off his left forearm and had tried to kill him. But he had felt no pain and no weapon that had pierced his body. He was still alive but he had no idea where he was and how he got there.

He heard a voice. A loud and deep voice. It was shouting his name.

_Kelrian._

_Find me, Kelrian._

_Find me and I will help you._


	41. Three Sisters

The main road was not overcrowded but it was not empty either. Lots of citizens stood along the road, their faint blue glowing eyes rested on him. They looked worse than the blood elves who had accompanied Kael'thas. Malfurion knew that the lack of arcane energy was responsible for their bad condition. Kael'thas had explained their problems to him, he had told him about the consequences of the lack of energy. He had told them what would happen to them if they wouldn't be able to absorb enough energy. It was only a matter of time until the first bad withdrawal symptoms will occur.

Malfurion knew that their king was looking for a cure. He knew that he was on Outland with Illidan but he hadn't heard of him since Tyrande went to Outland with the sin'dorei. He had no idea if Kael'thas found a cure nor did he know how Tyrande was doing. He had no idea if her reunion with Illidan had gone well.

He was wondering what she felt for Illidan. Even though Tyrande was his wife, he hoped that she and Illidan would be happy. He knew he couldn't make Tyrande as happy as she had been thousands of years ago. Their feelings for each other had changed, they no longer loved each other. They were friends and that was okay for Malfurion. It was okay for him if his brother and Tyrande would come together. All he wanted was Tyrande to be happy. He was happy as long as she was, so he hoped Illidan would make her happy.

Malfurion stopped thinking about those who mattered most to him and looked around **,** noticing that the citizens were giving him expecting and curious looks. He checked his surroundings again, realizing that he still stood in the middle of the gate. He hadn't moved since he had entered Silvermoon City. He had no doubt that the citizens were wondering what he was doing here. They were wondering who he was and to which race he belonged.

Malfurion had no doubt that most of them had never seen a night elf before. He knew that blood elves didn't get as old as their ancestors, as his people. None of the kaldorei that had been turned into quel'dorei due to the influence of the Sunwell was still alive these days. They were dead for thousands of years. Only their descendants were alive these days but most of them had never met a night elf before.

Malfurion gave the curious citizens a gentle smile, signalizing them they didn't have to be afraid of him. There were still mixed expressions on their faces, but most of them were positive. Malfurion's gaze fell on his adoptive daughter who was standing next to him and giving him an expecting look. "We should start moving, father. I have no doubt the Regent Lady is already awaiting us," said Shandris.

"There is no need to rush," said the man who had welcomed them. "Lady Windrunner wants you to take all the time you need. Feel free to regard the surroundings as long as you want."

Malfurion's gaze fell on the man. He wore a blue uniform, his hood was pulled down so that his magnificent, long blond hair was revealed. His left eye was covered by a red eyepatch. "I appreciate the offer of the Regent Lady but I don't want to let her wait for too long, Ranger-General. We have important things to discuss."

Lor'themar gave him a small nod. "I will guide you through Silvermoon and bring you to her. You can regard the city in the meantime. It's not as beautiful as it had been before the invasion but we are working on it. It will take a lot of time to rebuild it and restore its glorious sight. If it's ever possible to make Silvermoon as beautiful as it was before."

Malfurion's eyes roamed over the nearest buildings. "Your architects seem to be very capable, so I have no doubt they will make it as beautiful as it once was."

Lor'themar sighed. "Unfortunately, some of our greatest architects died during the invasion."

"Have faith in those who remain," said Shandris.

The Ranger-General gave her a small smile. "I have. I'm sure they will make the best out of the remains of Silvermoon."

The following silence didn't last long. "We should go," said Malfurion eventually.

Lor'themar nodded. "Follow me."

Malfurion, Shandris and the twelve night elves that came with them to Silvermoon were following him. Lor'themar guided them through the streets of Silvermoon, saying a few sentences about certain sights, buildings and places. The kaldorei just listened to his explanation and didn't dare to interrupt him.

Lor'themar brought them to Sunfury Spire which had once been called Sunstrider Spire. The royal family had lived there. Ever since King Kael'thas and the best warriors of Quel'Thalas had left the kingdom to find a cure for the insatiable hunger for magic, Regent Lady Alleria Windrunner had moved in there and ruled the sin'dorei in the king's absence.

Lor'themar told them that, he also told them about the Council of Silvermoon that had advised the deceased king Anasterian. He told them about the Sunstrider family but also about the Windrunner family, which most promising members had always become Ranger-General. The title had passed from generation to generation and remained in the family since the foundation of Silvermoon.

"You are the first Ranger-General who is not a Windrunner. That is very surprising. It must be an honour to you to be Ranger-General," remarked Shandris.

"It is. I was very surprised when the king offered me to become Ranger-General. When Alleria accepted the king's offer to become Regent Lady, I expected her younger sister Vereesa to become Ranger-General. But Vereesa has just become a mother at that time, so the king asked me. He told me it was best if I become Ranger-General because I'm the most experienced ranger after Lady Alleria. Vereesa may be a Windrunner but she has not as much experience as other rangers. She is quite young for an elf and her sister feared she would not hold out under the pressure, so she suggested the king to ask me," told Lor'themar.

"I don't know much about you but I have the impression that you are suitable for this position. I'm sure you can handle the stress that comes with it," said the druid.

Lor'themar gave Malfurion a small smile. "I try my best."

Lor'themar brought them to a room. "Here it is." His gaze fell on Shandris. "Will you join him, General Feathermoon?"

"Unlike my father, I'm not good at politics. It's best that he speaks to the Regent Lady alone."

If Malfurion was surprised by her answer, he didn't show it. "What will you do in the meantime?" Lor'themar asked her.

"There is much of Silvermoon, I haven't seen so far," responded the secondary leader of the Sentinels. "I might take a closer look at the areas I haven't seen so far."

"I can accompany you if you want," offered Lor'themar.

Shandris gave him a small smile. "I like that idea." She looked at her father. "Are you okay with that?

Malfurion nodded. "Go, Shandris. I will see you later."

Shandris nodded and turned to Lor'themar who pointed in a direction and started to move. Shandris and six of her rangers followed her, the other six stayed with Malfurion who signalized them to wait in front of the room.

Malfurion waited until his daughter and the Ranger-General were out of his sight, then took a deep breath and stepped to the door, knocking at it.

A few moments later a soft voice which told him to come in could be heard. Malfurion didn't hesitate to open the door. He entered the room and let his gaze wander, noticing that the room was furnished like an office. There were shelves full of books on the left side of the room, paintings hung on the yellow walls. Some of the paintings showed placed in Quel'Thalas which either had been beautiful before the invasion or were still beautiful.

There were paintings on which elves with bright blue eyes could be seen. There was even a portrait of Alleria's family which had been painted before the First War. In the portray, Vereesa and Lirath were very young and Sylvanas was a Ranger-Captain like her older sister. They looked so peaceful and happy.

Malfurion regarded these paintings for a few moments before he averted his gaze and looked to the right side of the room. There was a desk behind which a woman was sitting. She had golden hair, faint glowing blue eyes and a blue tattoo on the left side of her face. She wore a formal, golden-red uniform which accentuated her slim but muscular form.

Alleria regarded her guest curiously. It was the first time she saw Malfurion. It was the first time she saw a night elf. She had heard a lot about the kaldorei but had never met one of them before. She had heard they were taller than the sin'dorei but she had never imaged them to be that tall. Malfurion was two heads taller than her without considering the antlers on his head. With them, he was more than four heads taller than her.

He wore his casual archdruid outfit, his muscular upper body was almost entirely covered by his long green beard that reached to his waist. His turquoise eyes rested on Alleria. "You must be Lady Windrunner. It's a pleasure and an honour to see you in person after hearing so much of you."

"The same counts for me, Archdruid."

Malfurion's lips formed a small smile. "We don't need to be so formal. Please call me Malfurion."

Alleria nodded. "You can call me Alleria then."

"Very well."

Alleria was a bit nervous but she had no idea why. She had no idea what she should say so she just said what came in her mind. "I didn't expect you to be so tall, Malfurion."

The druid chuckled. "People often say that to me. The antlers let me look like a giant but in truth, I'm not that much taller than the average male kaldorei. Being tall has its advantages but also its disadvantages."

"I'm taller than the average female sin'dorei but I'm not as big as the average male sin'dorei. Nevertheless, I can understand you. Hiding in the forests is not easy for a tall person, so I'm satisfied with my size," responded Alleria.

"Kaldorei archers are very talented and they can hide in the forests even with their tall size but you are right. Being smaller as a ranger has its advantages. Anyway, there is much we have to talk about so we shouldn't spend more time debating about body sizes."

Alleria agreed, pointing at the chair in front of her desk. "Feel free to take a seat, Malfurion."

He did.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" she asked politely.

"I'm not hungry but I'm a little thirsty. I heard lots of your people going into raptures about moonberry juice from Silvermoon. We kaldorei also love to drink moonberry juice so I'm curious how the moonberry juice your people make tastes."

Alleria pulled two glasses out of a drawer and grabbed the jug from the small table near her desk. She filled the glasses and handed one of them to Malfurion who didn't hesitate to take a sip. "I have to say that's very delicious. It tastes so different compared to the moonberry juice we make. Nevertheless, I enjoy it."

Alleria smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." She took a few sips and sat down on her chair, putting her hands on the top of the desk. Malfurion's gaze wandered from her hands to the pictures on the left side of her desk. He leaned to the side and turned his head a little so that he could see them. There was one picture of Alleria and two other women who looked similar to her. One of them had silver hair, the other had golden-blonde hair like Alleria and wore a blue uniform. It looked almost identical to the one Lor'themar had worn. Malfurion assumed that these women were Alleria's sisters and that the one with the golden hair had been the previous Ranger-General.

Alleria was standing in the middle, the Ranger-General sat on a small rock to her left and the sister with the silver hair sat on the ground next to her. Alleria's hand rested on the shoulder of the Ranger-General. Malfurion had no doubt that this was Sylvanas who had been killed during the invasion.

He recognized them in another picture where they were standing next to each other. To the right of the silver-haired woman stood a young man with blond hair who was one head smaller than her. "These are your siblings, aren't they?"

Alleria nodded and pointed at the silver-haired woman and the young man. "This is Vereesa and this is Lirath... He died during the Second War..." Malfurion noticed the sadness in her eyes and her voice, so he expressed his sympathy for her.

Alleria made a small pause before she pointed at her middle sister. "This is Sylvanas. I think you have already heard about her."

Malfurion nodded. "I know she died protecting your people. I know that Arthas brought her back and forced her to serve him."

"I assume you are not aware that she has apparently managed to get free from the Scourge."

Malfurion's face was full of surprise. "She did?"

"She sent someone who delivered a message to me. The woman she sent is my niece and she brought me the head of one of the two traitors who betrayed our people. She told me that they attacked a Scourge base near the capital of Lordaeron. She told me that they killed every Scourge minion they found."

"Have your scouts confirmed that?"

"Yes, they did. My scouts told me that they saw a small army under different banners attacking the Scourge base."

"How did these banners look like?"

"The banners were purple and the crest on them looked like a broken porcelain mask that sheds purple tears and is pierced by three arrows with purple fletching."

"So it's quite different from the crest on the Scourge banners," concluded Malfurion.

"It is."

"And your sister is leading these undead creatures."

"She is."

"Do you think she is on our side?" he asked interested.

"From what she wrote to me and what King Sunstrider told me, she wants the Scourge gone as badly as we do. I'm not sure if we can trust her because we can't imagine what the torture Arthas put her through did to her," explained the sin'dorei woman.

A thoughtful look appeared on Malfurion's face. "Did she ask you for a meeting?"

"She expressed her interest in working with us. The king believes she is not our enemy so I see no reason why I shouldn't meet her and find out what she has to say. We have the same goals, so I see no reason why I shouldn't give her the chance to prove that we can trust her and her people."

"I'm not sure what I should say to that. Working with the undead sounds wrong to me. Druids like me would see them as an insult to life. They would see them as something that shouldn't exist but..."

"But they exist. They were created by foul, dark magic just like the death knights that had been created by orc warlocks in the Second War. But Sylvanas and her people didn't ask for this. I assume that those who were raised would have preferred to stay dead but Arthas forced his will upon them. He did this to them and they had no other choice than serving him.

We shouldn't push them away only because they shouldn't exist. They do exist and we have to accept that...I guess. We have to find out if they are trustworthy allies and then we can consider working with them against the Scourge. We need more capable soldiers if we want to defeat the Scourge."

Malfurion was silent as he thought about her words. He needed a few minutes to formulate an answer. "I guess you are right. We should give them the chance to prove themselves... Even though I still don't like the idea of working with walking corpses."

He paused for nearly a minute.

"I think we just need some time to get used to them. I want to meet your sister if it turns out we can trust her. It would be nice if you send me a message after you met her. Tell me if you think we can trust her. If you do then I would want to meet her too and get known to her."

Alleria nodded at him. "I will." She was relieved that Malfurion was not against her idea of meeting Sylvanas. Him disagreeing with her idea would only make things complicated. An alliance with him and his people would be very complicated if he would not want her to meet her sister. Fortunately, he was not against it.

"The more allies we get, the better are our chances against the Scourge."

"You are right," said Alleria. "I already sent letters to Stormwind and Ironforge but I didn't get any reply in return yet. We fought side by side with the dwarves and humans against the Horde in the Second War. We shared the same interests in the past and I'm sure we share the same interests these days. I see no reason why Stormwind and Ironforge shouldn't work with us against the Scourge. They have to deal with the undead sooner or later if we can't stop them."

"There are humans on Kalimdor too," responded Malfurion. "They helped us repelling the attacks of the Burning Legion. They assisted us in the Battle of Mount Hyjal and so did the orcs."

"The orcs?" Alleria asked irritated. She raised an eyebrow and frowned. "I've bad experiences with orcs. They were our enemies for decades..."

"I'm not sure what I should think about them. They helped us to defend our lands and protect our world tree Nordrassil but... The leader of one of their clans killed my mentor..." Sadness appeared in Malfurion's eyes. He was still not over the death of his mentor, the demigod Cenarius.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Malfurion."

The sadness vanished quickly. "I appreciate that the orcs helped us but I do not trust them."

"Was the clan leader brought to justice or is he still alive?"

"As far as I know, he died after killing the demon who enslaved the orcs and made them serve the Burning Legion. The demon's name was Mannoroth. He was one of the demon generals who invaded Azeroth ten thousand years ago. My master fought him back then but he couldn't defeat him. Fortunately, Mannoroth didn't survive this invasion."

"What do the humans of Theramore think about the orcs?" Alleria asked interested.

"Their leader, Lady Jaina Proudmoore, doesn't regard them as an enemy. They worked together but they went separated ways after we defeated Archimonde. They are not allied but they agreed on not attacking the other."

A thoughtful look could be seen on Alleria's face. "Basically, we can ally ourselves with Theramore without needing to ally with the orcs," she concluded.

Malfurion nodded. "As long as we don't attack the orcs and they don't attack us, an alliance with Theramore should work."

"I have no intention to attack the orcs. The Scourge is already causing enough problems for us. We don't need to create more."

Malfurion nodded. "I agree."

"Now that you worked with Lady Proudmoore in the past, you could meet up her and convince her to join us."

"I will do that," the night elf responded.

"Good. Is there anything else we need to talk about?"

"I don't think so. We will work together from now and assist each other when the Scourge or anyone else attacks one of us. We should plan our offences and defences together and inform the other about possible new allies," responded Malfurion.

Alleria handed him the document she had written in the meantime. Malfurion read it carefully, giving her a nod when he was done. "That's perfect," he said and put his signature on it. Alleria did the same and offered him her hand. "May our alliance be successful. May this new Alliance destroy the Scourge and every enemy that comes in its way."

Malfurion took her hand and stared into her eyes as he shook it. "May our alliance be successful."

"We should announce it to my people."

"Yes, we should," responded Malfurion and let go of her hand.

"If you have no problem with staying longer, I would speak to my people this evening."

"I don't mind staying for a few days. That way, I can get known to your people and take a closer look at Silvermoon."

"We should celebrate the foundation of the new Alliance."

"I like that idea," responded the druid.

"We will combine the celebration with the announcement. I will tell my servants to organise a feast."

"Very well."

Alleria stood up from her chair and so did Malfurion. They went to the exit and left the room together.

* * *

Alleria regarded the ruins in front of her for a few moments, then she averted her gaze and looked at her sister who was also looking at her. "What a shame that nothing is left of Liadrin's house."

Vereesa nodded. "It was magnificent. Now nothing but burned wood and ashes remain. The Sunsinger villa has been destroyed as well. It was beautiful too."

"We will rebuild them soon. Malfurion promised to send us enough resources soon," responded Alleria and averted her gaze, looking at the surrounding houses. Half of them had been completely destroyed and the others were either still intact or only slightly damaged. They were still habitable.

"I'm glad that you managed to establish an alliance with the kaldorei. We won't be able to get rid of the Scourge alone. We need more allies if we want to pose a threat to the Scourge. There are still too many creatures in Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron," said Vereesa.

"I wonder when the humans and dwarves will reply. We have once fought by their side against a common enemy, so I don't see a reason why we shouldn't do it again. The Alliance of Lordaeron defeated the Orcish Horde and I have no doubt the new formed Alliance will defeat the Scourge one day. But we can only achieve that if the humans and the dwarves join. I have faith in Stormwind and Gilneas but I'm not sure about Theramore."

"What's wrong about Theramore?" asked Vereesa. She raised an eyebrow and gave her sister an irritated look. "As far as I know, Jaina and the survivors of Lordaeron live there. I don't see a reason why we shouldn't ally ourselves with them."

A quiet sigh escaped Alleria's lips. "I know. It's just that... Theramore worked together with the Horde. They might have done that to defeat the Burning Legion but still... I don't like orcs and trolls. I have nothing against the tauren but... What happened in the past..." Alleria paused and sighed loudly. "I do not trust the Horde."

"What did Malfurion say? Does he trust the Horde?"

"He doesn't trust the Horde but he still tolerates that Theramore is at peace with them. The Scourge is our main enemy. They are already causing enough problems for us, so we don't need to create more problems. We have no reason to start a conflict with the Horde. Live and let live. As long as they don't attack us, we don't have to fight them," explained the Regent Lady.

"You are right about that. I think it's best if we send a letter to Theramore and ask Jaina for a meeting," replied the silver-haired woman.

"You are right, Little Moon. I will do that but first, we have to get through this meeting and see what happens."

Vereesa regarded her sister from head to toe. "You are nervous, aren't you?"

Alleria nodded. "We are going to see Sylvanas again after one and a half years. Of course I am nervous. Nervous but curious. I want to find out how much our sister has changed. I want to find out if a part of her still exists or if the Sylvanas we have known is completely gone. I want to get known to the Banshee Queen. I have so many questions but I doubt I will get an answer to all of them."

Vereesa put a hand on Alleria's shoulder, giving her a comforting look. "You are not alone, sis. We will go through this together. Keep in mind that I will always be there for you and support you whenever I can."

Alleria smiled, giving her baby sis a thankful nod. "The same counts for you, Little Moon. If you have any problem, just come to me and ask for my help."

"I will."

"It seems you two are closer than ever," said a strange voice.

The two blood elves turned their heads in the direction where the voice came from, spotting its owner. They took a closer look at the undead woman who stood not far away from them. They recognized familiar facial features. The woman had been breathtakingly beautiful in life and was so in death. She didn't look horrible like most undead creatures Alleria and Vereesa had seen so far. The woman's light blue skin was flawless, her crimson red eyes rested on the sisters.

Alleria and Vereesa couldn't take their widened blue eyes from their sister who was just standing there and regarding them as well. The silence was uncomfortable but none of the three sisters said something. Alleria wanted so say something but she had no idea what she should say. Her mind was blank and she was speechless. The same counted for Vereesa who was also at a loss of words.

Unlike her sisters, Sylvanas was not surprised to see them. She was not stunned by their appearances which hadn't changed much, unlike hers. She was not speechless but she remained silent nonetheless, wondering when Alleria and Vereesa would say something. She had expected that Alleria would be one who would break the silence, so it really surprised her that Vereesa was the one who spoke first. "It seems that the tales about you are true."

Sylvanas titled her head a little and raised an eyebrow. "Tales? What tales?"

The sound of her voice was unpleasant to hear but the sin'dorei didn't let Sylvanas notice anything. Their facial expressions remained neutral but their eyes reflected a small amount of hope. Their hearts were beating much faster than usual and the hairs on the back of their necks stood up.

Alleria cleared her throat. "She means the rumours we've heard about you. You know... We already knew that this bastard made you his servant and we heard that you have gotten free from the Scourge but we had no confirmation that you drove the demons out of Lordaeron and claimed the capital of Lordaeron as your territory. King Kael'thas told me that he met you but... For some reason, I doubted your existence and your allegiance from time to time. Even when Lyndia came to me and told me that you sent her... I still had my doubts...But only sometimes... But now we finally have the proof that you are no longer a servant of the Scourge. It's good to know that you are no longer forced to serve that bastard."

"You don't know how relieved I was when I found out that I no longer have to hear Arthas' voice in my head. When I realized that I no longer have to serve this mass murderer... I wouldn't call it joy but I felt something similar to that."

"I think I understand how you must have felt," said Vereesa.

"No, you don't," said Sylvanas sharply. "No one can understand what I felt in the past one and a half year. Trust me, you don't want to know how I felt. You're lucky you didn't go through what I went through."

The youngest of the three hesitated for a short moment. "I guess you can say that."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in response. She just stared at her baby sister, her face reflected nothing but coldness. Her eyes looked dangerous.

Alleria cleared her throat, catching Sylvanas' attention. The Banshee Queen's gaze fell on the Regent Lady, one of her pale blonde eyebrows was raised. "Do you have anything to say, sister?"

"Well... There is much I want to say to you but I have no idea where to start... First of all, I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I wanted to save you but I was..." she stopped speaking, a sad look appeared on her face.

"Overwhelmed by fear," completed Sylvanas.

Alleria nodded. "You are right about that. The fear stunned me and made me motionless. I was afraid. I was afraid of dying and becoming one of Arthas' servants. I was weak and a coward, I admit that."

"I wouldn't go so far," replied the undead elf.

Alleria tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I was afraid too but I didn't show it. I was not strong enough to kill Arthas but that didn't mean I was weak. You weren't weak either. You were powerless, just like me. Nobody was strong enough to kill Arthas. Not even the king and the queen. I was not able to kill Arthas but I'm no longer the same woman I used to be back then. I became stronger. Strong enough to kill Arthas if I see him the next time. I nearly had him but... Kel'Thuzad saved that bastard."

Alleria was silent, not knowing what she should say in response. The awkward silence between them didn't last for too long. Vereesa was the one who ended it. "Arthas will pay for his crimes. One day, we will bring him to justice. He will pay for everything he has done."

"I hope so," replied Sylvanas, a small amount of hope was reflected in her voice which had been very monotonous so far. "I won't stop until Arthas gets what he deserves."

"Nor will we. What he did to you, to our homeland and to our people... Is unforgivable," hissed Alleria through gritted teeth. Anger and hatred were reflected by her gorgeous eyes. Neither Sylvanas nor Vereesa had ever seen her so angry before. She had a murderous expression on her face but the expression disappeared when Vereesa put a hand on her cheek and caressed it slowly while giving her a comforting look.

Alleria relaxed eventually, a quiet sigh escaped her lips. She saw Sylvanas smirking at her. "Good to know that we want the same," said the Banshee Queen.

Alleria tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. "Of course we do. There is no way that I would not want to bring Arthas to justice. I will kill him myself when I find him."

"That makes two of us."

"Three," Vereesa replied determinedly.

"Three," repeated the undead elf and gave her little sister a small, barely recognizable smile.

This time, the uncomfortable silence between them lasted almost ten minutes. Alleria cleared her throat after a while, putting one hand in the other. "How are you feeling, sister?"

"Usually, I feel very angry but I feel better than I felt when I have been forced to serve him. You can't imagine how I felt when I was forced to kill our brethren... When I was forced to kill...," Sylvanas stopped speaking and averted her gaze, looking at her feet. That way, Vereesa and Alleria couldn't see the sadness and grief in her eyes. They couldn't know how devasted she looked at the moment.

Sylvanas was always getting emotional when thinking about the one person she had been forced to kill. The person whose death she mourned the most. Causing her death had hit Sylvanas much harder than finding out that her daughter had been killed and raised by the Scourge. She still felt guilty even though she had not wanted her death. She had not been able to prevent it. She had no reason to feel guilty about the woman's death but she still felt guilty from time to time. This moment was one of these rare moments.

Vereesa was about to walk over to Sylvanas and put a hand on her shoulder but Sylvanas looked up again before she was able to do that. For the first time, Alleria and Vereesa were able to see grief in her sister's eyes. "Who did you have to kill?" Vereesa asked carefully. She gave Sylvanas a comforting look, signalizing her that she didn't have to be scared.

Sylvanas was silent for nearly three minutes but then she gave her baby sister an answer. "Mother... Arthas forced me to kill our mother. I didn't care about her fate when I fought her because Arthas turned off my emotions. I was still affected by his mind-control when I fought her. After I stabbed her in the heart, he removed the mind-control and made me witness her death with my emotions turned on again..."

Alleria and Vereesa were speechless. Speechless and shocked by this confession. They would have never imagined Sylvanas to be the one who had ended their mother's life. They had thought that Arthas or one of his servants had killed her. They had thought that anyone but Sylvanas had killed their mother. The cruel truth was that it had been Sylvanas. They knew she hadn't done it voluntarily, so they didn't harbour a grudge against her. The anger they felt was directed at Arthas.

Alleria clenched her fist and bit her bottom lip hard. Her facial features were distorted in anger, her eyes reflected nothing but pure hatred. Vereesa's expression was totally different. There was no anger or hatred in her eyes, her facial features didn't reflect these emotions either. There was sadness. Sadness and grief.

Sylvanas' facial expression turned into a neutral one. She regarded her sisters, not saying anything until their expressions had changed. Alleria calmed down after a while, the anger was still visible in her eyes but it was not as clearly visible as before. Vereesa was still sad and she didn't even try to hide it. But she didn't cry. She remained strong and returned Sylvanas' gaze.

"It was not your fault, Sylvanas. You don't have to feel guilty for something you have been forced to do. You didn't want to kill her," said Alleria with a calming voice.

Sylvanas nodded. "I know but I still feel guilty whenever I think about her."

"Her death will be avenged when we kill Arthas," responded her younger sister.

Sylvanas nodded again but didn't say anything in return this time.

"We have a common goal. A common enemy who we want to kill," said Alleria.

"We have," was all Sylvanas said in return.

"Nothing speaks against us working together," said Alleria.

"Are you sure about that?" Sylvanas asked. "What about the sin'dorei? Are you sure they will accept my people and me? I fear that they won't trust us." Sylvanas' voice was thin, insecurity and doubt werehearable.

Alleria nodded. "Our people already know that you attacked the Scourge base near Agamand Mills and killed the Scourge commander who was in charge of the base. My advisors told me that more and more people are beginning to trust you. Of course, there will always be people who have doubts but that doesn't have to mean anything. There will always be people who won't agree with the decisions we make. We can't please everyone with our decisions. All we can do is to try to convince the majority of our people. If we gain their trust, nothing should stand in our way."

Sylvanas gave her older sister a curious look. "And how do we do that?"

A thoughtful look appeared on her sisters' faces. They were silent as they thought about it for several minutes. Alleria cleared her throat eventually, not knowing how much time had passed. "You should visit Silvermoon. You and some of your most trusted followers. We have to convince the sin'dorei that you are not evil. You have to speak to them and convince them that you are on our side."

"That is not a bad idea," Sylvanas admitted.

"I see things the same," said Vereesa.

"Why don't you come with us to Silvermoon?"

If Sylvanas was surprised by Alleria's offer, she didn't show it. She had to admit that she missed her homeland. She missed Silvermoon and her former people. She missed seeing the admiration on their faces. She was certain that she wouldn't see admiration on most faces when she would return to the capital.

She assumed that most blood elves will be shocked to see her. They might even be afraid of her. Some may show pity for her or even mourn her. The sin'dorei would need time to get used to her, accept her and later trust her but she will do everything necessary to earn their trust. She will prove to them that she was on their side. She will prove that she was not their enemy.

"You mean right now?"

Alleria nodded. "Yes."

"Didn't you offer me to take my most trusted followers with me? If we go now, I will be the only undead in Silvermoon."

Alleria chuckled. "But they are here already, right? They are somewhere in the forest to our left, aren't they?" Alleria chuckled again as she noticed the surprised expression on her sister's face. She didn't give Sylvanas the opportunity to answer. She was sure Sylvanas would have asked her how she knew.

"Your appearance and your character might have changed but not your habits. In the past, you never went to a meeting without back up. You usually brought your best rangers with you and told them to hide somewhere. Old habits die hard. I have no doubt that they are watching us at the moment."

Sylvanas was impressed and she didn't even try to hide it. "You are right, Alleria. I have no doubt your rangers are here as well."

"Rangers and mages," told Vereesa.

"Mages of the Kirin Tor?" Sylvanas asked as she looked at the silver-haired woman. Vereesa nodded.

"So you have them on your side too. I should have expected that. Your husband is still one of them. Who else is on your side? The humans? The dwarves?"

"Neither the humans nor the dwarves but the kaldorei," responded the tattooed elf.

Sylvanas gave her older sister a surprised look. "Really?"

"Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage visited us a few days ago. We talked about lots of things and then agreed on forming an alliance. The sin'dorei and the kaldorei are the first members of the new Alliance. I hope Stormwind, Theramore and the dwarves will join too. Maybe even Gilneas and the gnomes."

"You should inform the archdruid that I will consider joining your Alliance if your people accept me and the Forsaken."

"He already knows that I might allow you to join. He told me that I should send him a message when you are in Silvermoon so he could come there and meet you personally," told Alleria.

"First, I need to get your people's trust and then you can invite him."

Alleria frowned, one of her brows was raised. " _Your people_? Why do you call them like that? They are not just my and Vereesa's people, they are yours as well. You might be undead. You might be a Forsaken but you are still an elf. You were born a high elf just like us. They are also your people and you have sworn to protect them. If that promise still means something to you, then you should consider them as your people and protect them by any means."

Sylvanas nodded slowly. "You are right, sister."

The silence didn't last for too long this time. "Shall we go?" Vereesa asked.

Sylvanas nodded and made a gesture with her hand. Ten dark rangers came out of the forest a few minutes later. They brought eleven skeletal horses with them. Alleria also made a gesture. Five of her best rangers and five mages of the Kirin Tor came out of the opposite forest. They had twelve horses. They were eyeing the dark rangers suspiciously but they didn't say or do anything. They were ordered to take no action without orders from Alleria.

Two rangers brought the largest and strongest horses to Alleria and Vereesa. Sylvanas looked at her dark rangers, receiving a nod from Verena. The raven-haired woman grabbed the reins of the largest skeletal horse and brought it to the Banshee Queen. Sylvanas looked at her sisters as soon as she sat steady in her saddle. They sat in their saddles and gave Sylvanas expecting looks.

"I'm ready," said Sylvanas.

"So are we. Let's go," announced Alleria.


	42. Arrangement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have wanted to write this chapter for months. Even before I started to write this story. I hope you like it.

The first thing Kelrian did when he felt that he got his magic back was to conjure a sword which blade he heated up. He pressed the hot blade against his arm stump, burning out the wound and stopping the bleeding that way. Removing his destroyed eyeball turned out to be too difficult with only one arm, so he decided to leave it in and keep his eye closed. He created a small fel green flame above his palm and used it to illuminate his surroundings a little at least. He wasn't able to see much but it was better than nothing.

He walked to the left, coming to a wall. He walked to the right, eventually arriving in front of another wall. He walked along the wall until he came to a large door. The door was at least sixteen feet tall and it was not easy to open it with only one hand. He pushed his entire weight against the door, opening it enough so that he could slip through the small slit. The room he entered was totally dark.

At first, Kelrian didn't see much but his eye got used to the dark pretty quickly. His surroundings became clearer over time, so he could recognize the thick and large pillars that were supporting the ceiling high above him. The room was totally empty except for the large throne in front of the other side of the room.

It took him a while to reach the throne. As Kelrian had expected, nobody was sitting on the throne. He had noticed that he was the only person in the room but he could still feel a strange aura. He sensed someone's presence but he didn't see anyone. He turned around, checking his surroundings once again but he didn't spot anyone. He was alone in the room, he thought so at least.

A green flame suddenly appeared above the throne's seat. Kelrian took a closer look at it, recognizing facial features. He recognized two eyes and a mouth which formed a satisfied smile. Kelrian was speechless and couldn't avert his gaze from the flame that was blazing brightly.

"I have waited for you," said an echoing voice. The voice didn't come from the flame, even though its mouth was moving. Kelrian had the impression that the voice came from everywhere.

"Who or what are you?" he asked irritated.

The flame's smile became wider. "You will find out soon enough who I am. Find me and I will help you." The flame disappeared a few moments later.

Find the creature.

Kelrian had no idea what that creature was nor did he know where he should start looking. He was still wondering how he had come to this strange place. He had no idea where he was. He didn't know if he was still on Azeroth or on a different planet. A planet he didn't know. He could try to create a portal to Azeroth or Outland. He could do that and just get out of there but he was curious. He wanted to find out where he was and who the owner of the mysterious voice was.

Kelrian walked over to the throne and took a closer look at it. It was made out of felstones. He touched it carefully, noticing that his hand vibrated softly. He could feel the power stored in the throne. So much power. He noticed six symbols carved in the armrests. He ran his hand over the symbols, noticing that they started to glow golden. Nothing else happened.

Kelrian turned his head, checking his surroundings once again. He wanted to find out if he had missed something but there was nothing else in the room except for the pillars. He sat down on the throne and waited. He waited and waited but nothing happened. He frowned and got up eventually. He closed his eye and took a deep breath, ignoring his hurting head as best as possible. The pain was returning slowly. He knew he had to absorb more fel to numb the pain but he had no crystals left. There was only one way to make him feel would have to absorb the fel energy stored in the throne.

Kelrian was not sure if that was a good idea. He was not sure if he would be able to stop himself once he had started draining fel energy from the throne. He had never managed to stop absorbing fel even if he had wanted to. He had always stopped only when he had absorbed the whole amount of fel energy stored in a crystal. He had never managed to drain a certain amount of energy. He was not sure if he should do that but he had no other choice. He didn't want to be in pain, so he started to drain the energy stored in the throne.

He drained and drained but he couldn't stop. The longer he drained, the stronger became his desire to drain more. He was addicted to fel magic. The fel was even worse than the hardest drug he had heard of. It made him stronger but it had side effects of which Kelrian was not aware of. He had no idea what it will do to him but he didn't care at the moment. All he wanted was to absorb more. He wanted to absorb every single portion of the fel energy that was stored in the throne.

He had no idea how much time had passed as his body suddenly stopped draining. He frowned and put his hand on the other armrest but nothing happened. His body didn't absorb more. The throne seemed to be empty and that made him angry. He wanted more but he couldn't get more and that made him furious. So furious that he slammed his fist on the armrest, causing it to break.

The entire armrest broke. His eye widened as he realized that he had destroyed it. He had not realized until this very moment how powerful the fel had made him. He felt much more powerful than he had ever felt after consuming a felstone.

He couldn't describe in words how powerful he felt. The power was overwhelming him, making him feel happy. He forgot about the horrible scene he had witnessed on Northrend. He forgot about the loss of his men and of Elena. He forgot about Sylvera who was Arthas' servant. All he could think about was the power he possessed and what he could do with it. He could return to Northrend and slap Arthas to death. He could avenge his family and all those people he had lost. He could do that but he didn't want that at the moment.

He wanted more. More power and he was sure the voice who had spoken to him could give him more power. He just had to find the owner of that voice. He was sure that there must be a way to get out. He looked at the three symbols on the left armrest, noticing that they had stopped glowing. He took a closer look at the throne, noticing that its colour had turned black. The throne was empty so he had no longer use of it.

He focused his new gathered power in his fist and struck against the back of the throne which was two times taller than him. It started to crack. He hit again, making the cracks larger and deeper. He hit it again and again until it shattered. Splinters rain down on him but he created a green barrier around him which protected him. He really liked his new power and he was wondering what he could do with it.

This time, he focused his power in his left leg. A few precise kicks were enough to destroy the left armrest. He only stopped when nothing but fragments were left of the throne. Thousands of fragments of different sizes. Kelrian pushed the fragments away and regarded the floor where the throne had stood before. He noticed runes on the floor. Runes and an inscription beneath it.

He had never seen these symbols before but for some reason, he could still read them. He read them out aloud automatically, wondering how he knew how to pronounce the words. It was like something or someone had made him speak them out aloud.

The floor and the walls started to shake. Kelrian looked around in panic, wondering what was going on. He feared the ceiling might fall on top of him but it was the floor that gave way. He fell and landed somewhere but he felt no pain. He got up and checked his surroundings. He saw demons. Many demons that had noticed his presence and were coming for him.

He had no idea how much time had passed when the slaughter was finally over. He turned his head, regarding the corpses that laid around him. Not every corpse was still recognizable, lots of separated body parts, weapons and armour pieces were scattered all over the floor that was covered by green blood.

Kelrian had spent most of the power he had absorbed. He was wounded but alive. He had no idea how he had managed to survive and kill all these demons. He had no idea what had happened. The last thing he remembered was that he had pulled a fel green sword out the floor and then attacked the first demon.

He still carried the sword in his hand. He had no idea who had rammed it into the ground. He had the impression that it was special. He sensed the powerful aura that was radiated by it. He noticed the golden runes that were engraved in the fel green blade. There was a golden crystal that had the form of an eye in the sword's rain-guard.

He had the impression that the eye was staring at him but he knew it couldn't because it was just a decorative element. It was not a real eye. Kelrian swung the sword, noticing that it was not very heavy even though it looked heavy. It was thick and large, not as large as Frostmourne but at least as large as Felo'melorn. He had used this sword to kill all forty-seven demons that had attacked him.

They had approached him in smaller groups and he had killed them one by one. He doubted he would have had a chance against them if all of them would have attacked him at the same time. He still couldn't believe that he had survived. He had expected to die but he didn't. He was still alive and he had no idea how he had managed to stay alive.

Kelrian regarded the sword for a few more moments before he let his gaze wander. For the first time since he had landed there, he noticed the figure on the other side of the room. He had no idea why he hadn't noticed it before. The creature was tall and the chains around its body were glowing greenish. He couldn't believe that he had not noticed it before. He had been busy fighting the demons so that he hadn't had the time to check his surroundings closely.

Kelrian walked over to the demon and stopped in front of it, regarding it closely. It was a male demon with thick horns but the half of one of it was missing. Kelrian assumed it had been broken off and it was not unlikely that this had happened during a fight.

Black and golden rings decorated the horns. The demon's black-golden armour was heavily damaged and some parts were even missing. Green blood stuck on it. It was not unlikely that this blood was his'.

The demon kneeled on the floor, his arms were tied behind his back, one of his wings was missing, the other was folded and couldn't be moved because of the chains. The demon's head was lowered, his gaze rested on the floor. His left eye was swollen but the other was healthy.

Kelrian regarded the demon closely. "Who are you?"

The demon lifted his head as much as the chains around his neck allowed, his golden eye fell on Kelrian. His pale, burst lips formed a weak smile. "I've awaited you, Kelrian Sunstrider."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Sunstrider?" He sounded irritated.

Quiet laughter escaped the demon's lips. "I know about your bloodline and I know that you know it too. Don't pretend that you don't know who your father is."

Kelrian tilted his head. "Fine, you know who I am. And now what? Are you going to tell everyone who I am?"

"Well, even if I could, I don't see a reason why I should do that. It changes nothing for me if I do that. I'm still tied up and locked in this place."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to free me from these chains."

Kelrian tilted his head to the other side, giving the demon a questionable look. "And why should I do that?"

"Because you want more power. You want to get strong enough to kill Arthas Menethil and avenge your beloved wife," the demon said.

"How do you know so much about me?"

"I watched you for quite some time. I have my eyes and ears everywhere."

Kelrian was unimpressed. "How I can be sure that you won't kill me when I free you?" Kelrian asked mistrustfully.

"Do I look like I'm in the condition to fight anyone? You absorbed the power stored in the throne and you have my sword. It's more likely that you kill me."

"I do not consider freeing you as long as I don't know who you are and why you have been tied up. Why were you guarded by these demons?"

The demon coughed blood out. "Fine, I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Exadius."

Kelrian's eye narrowed as he heard that name. He raised the sword and pressed the tip against the demon's throat. "You are the one who tried to kill Tyrande Whisperwind. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you. You are working for Kil'jaeden. Everyone who works for him is Lord Illidan's enemy. You are my enemy, so give me one reason why I should spare you."

The demon didn't get in a panic nor did he seemed to be scared. He didn't beg for mercy, instead, he remained cool as if he had nothing to fear. "I might have worked for Kil'jaeden but only because I had no other choice. He forced me to serve him and I had to obey him and do everything he wanted from me. He brainwashed my mind and made me do things I didn't want to do."

"That sounds familiar...," said Kelrian quietly, a thoughtful look appeared on his face. He thought about the vision again, about Sylvanas who had gotten free from the Scourge. Sylvanas had been forced to serve Arthas and had done horrible things in his name. She had been mind-controlled by him. It must have been horrible for her.

He had no idea why but for some reason he believed the demon. Everything could be a trick, an illusion. Everything the demon had said could be a lie, he knew that. He knew that demons were masters of manipulation. He knew that because Illidan had told him had warned him not to trust demons. Kelrian knew he shouldn't believe the demon but for some reason, he had the impression that he was speaking the truth. He was convinced that the demon was not lying to him but he had no idea why he believed him. He decided to remain careful and listen to what the demon had to say.

"Who did this to you?" Kelrian asked, pointing at the various injuries.

"It was Kil'jaeden...He noticed that I managed to get free from his mind-control. He noticed that I sabotaged his plans..."

"Sabotaged? How? What did you do?"

"I was ordered to kill the High Priestess of Elune but I didn't. I could have killed her. I had grabbed her by her throat and strangled her. I could have broken her neck with ease but I didn't. I allowed Illidan to distract me so that she could escape. I let it look like he had rescued her but in truth, I have spared her. If I would have used all of my power, both of them would have died. But instead, I allowed them to live. I also made sure none of Kil'jaeden's agents got them. I killed all of them. I let it look like Illidan did it and Kil'jaeden's servants believed that. But Kil'jaeden didn't believe it. He found out that it was not Illidan who killed them."

"Your explanation sounds plausible but still... That is not enough for me to trust you," said Kelrian.

"I don't need you to trust me. All I want is you to make a deal with me. You want Arthas dead and I want to take vengeance on Kil'jaeden for everything he did to me and my people."

"The nathrezim."

Exadius nodded slightly. "He forced them to serve the Legion. He took their free will and made them his puppets. He toys with us and I will make him pay for that."

"Lord Illidan also wants to get rid of Kil'jaeden and the Burning Legion," mentioned Kelrian.

"See. We have a common enemy."

"Kil'jaeden wants the Lich King gone too. If we kill him, Kil'jaeden will triumph at the same time. Wouldn't that be a problem for you?"

"I don't care about the Lich King. I will do anything to kill Kil'jaeden and if Arthas' death is necessary to achieve that goal, I won't shrink back from helping you to kill him," Exadius responded.

Kelrian's face reflected interest. "So you help me to kill Arthas and destroy the Lich King and I help you to get rid of that demon. Is that the concept of your deal?"

"It is, Kelrian."

"Lord Illidan told me that you are pretty powerful. If I free you, you can recover so that your power will return. I could make use of an ally who managed to defeat the High Priestess and Lord Illidan easily. I don't doubt you are powerful. I wouldn't have believed you if Lord Illidan wouldn't have told me what happened. But now that he did, I don't doubt that you are a very strong individual. The extend of Kil'jaeden's power must be immenseif he managed to defeat you."

"You have no idea, mortal. Arthas' power is nothing compared to his but he will fall too if we work together."

"If we work together," repeated Kelrian. He regarded the demon once again, thinking about everything he had said. He knew Exadius was powerful. He might be heavily injured but he could still feel his aura. It was stronger than the aura of any demon he had met so far. His aura was by far stronger than Illidan's. He was not sure if he could trust the demon but he knew he had no other choice. He didn't know where he was nor did he know if he could leave this place. He had the impression he couldn't. He hadn't tried it yet but for some reason, he had the impression that he couldn't create a portal there. Neither to Azeroth nor to Outland.

Kelrian tried it and his assumption turned out to be true. He was trapped in this strange place. He was trapped there but he was sure Exadius could help him. Maybe it had been him who had saved him. He was wondering if Exadius was still able to use magic. It was very unlikely but it might still be possible. He wanted to find it out.

"Did you save me from Arthas? Did you teleport me to this strange place?"

"I didn't."

Kelrian frowned, a confused look appeared on his face. "Who was it then?"

"I still have allies out there who are still loyal to me. I assume it was one of them."

"Who are your allies?"

"My children and some other demon rebels. You must know that not every nathrezim or demon was enslaved. There were some who managed to flee before the Legion got them. Others broke free, just like me."

"Can you bring me back to Azeroth or to Outland?" Kelrian asked.

"I can if you free me but I will need some time. My magic won't return immediately if you release me from these chains."

"I don't trust you yet but I have no other choice. I will die in this place if I don't find a way to get out. I have no other choice than to trust you. I have sworn to avenge my wife, my family and my people. I want Arthas dead and I will do anything necessary to achieve this goal. I have no other choice than taking this risk."

The corners of Exadius' lips formed a small smile. "You are right, Kelrian. You are very smart, I have to say that. You have no other choice than trusting me and I have no other choice than trusting you. I prefer to be independent but even I have to do things I don't want to do to achieve my goals. I will ally myself with you and make a deal with you if you free me."

Kelrian nodded. "Alright. Tell me what I have to do."

"Free me."

Kelrian snorted and rolled his eyes. "I know that already. You should rather tell me how I free you."

"A spell lies on these chains. A spell that prevents me from breaking them and getting free," explained the demon. "You have to find a way to lift this spell."

Kelrian frowned and walked around the demon and regarded the chains from all sides but he didn't notice anything extraordinary. He let his gaze wander, noticing the symbols that were carved into the floor. Demonic symbols. There were four of them which looked different from another.

"I have a theory," said Kelrian and walked to the nearest symbol. Exadius didn't say anything in response. All he did was watching Kelrian. Kelrian lifted the sword and brought it down, ramming it through the symbol into the floor. He pulled the sword out, noticing that it was undamaged. The symbol, on the other hand, was gone. It had vanished.

Kelrian looked back at Exadius, noticing that the green glowing aura around the chains had gotten weaker. He was right with his theory. He walked to the next symbol, destroying it as well. He did the same with the third and fourth symbol.

The glowing aura disappeared. Exadius tried to get free but the chains still held him in place. Kelrian walked to him and raised the sword, executing a swift strike. The first chain was cut in two pieces. The chains landed on the floor one after one, piece by piece. Kelrian destroyed the last chain, freeing the nathrezim.

Exadius had to wait for a few moments before his body obeyed him. He got up eventually but he was not able to stand up to his full height. His spinal column had been damaged in the fight against Kil'jaeden but it was only a matter of time until all of his wounds will heal. He just had to be patient.

"Wonderful. You just made the first step. Now that I'm finally free, all we have to do is wait until I can cast spells again."

"How long will that need?"

"I have no idea. Maybe a few hours, or days or weeks. We shall see. The time in this place passes faster than you think."

"Is there a way to accelerate this process?"

"There is. You have to give me my sword so I can absorb the stored energy there. My wounds will heal a lot faster and my magic will return sooner," explained the dreadlord.

"Alright." Kelrian handed him the sword which grew in size as Exadius grabbed the handle. It became twice as big as before. It had the perfect size for Exadius who was almost ten feet tall when he stood upright. Kelrian noticed that the demon was drawing power from the sword. Two of the golden symbols engraved in the blade stopped glowing and Exadius' wounds started to heal. Not all of them but the most serious ones. His other eye was still swollen but at least most of his deep wounds had been closed.

"Give me a few hours and then we can continue."

Kelrian said nothing in return. He just stood there and watched the demon while more of his wounds healed in the next few hours. He was able to open his eye again after four hours and even his torn-out wing regrew. Only his missing horn wasn't restored. "Seems I have to find something to replace that broken horn. I also need a new armour but that can wait."

"Are you ready?" Kelrian asked bored.

Exadius stood up to his full size and regarded Kelrian amused. "Now I am."

"I hope you still remember our deal."

The demon nodded. "I do. I will help you defeat Arthas and the Scourge and you help me to take vengeance on Kil'jaeden."

Kelrian gave him an agreeing nod. "Perfect."

"There is only one problem with that."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "What?"

"I can't leave this place. I may be free from the chains but I'm still locked in this world. I can create portals so that others can leave but I can't leave it myself."

Kelrian frowned. "And how do you want to help me then?"

"I will make you stronger but not only that. There is much more I can do."

Kelrian gave him a curious look. "I'm listening."

"I have useful and powerful abilities you can't even imagine. I can communicate with you even if I'm far away from you."

"How is that possible?"

Exadiustapped with the tip of his index finger against his forehead. "Telepathy."

Kelrian's eye reflected surprise. "You can do that?"

"I can and I don't even need to use magic for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to tell you to look for me."

"I see."

"With the help of a spell, I can see what you see. I will be your advisor and give you all the information you need to defeat the Scourge and Arthas Menethil."

"That sounds great."

Exadius chuckled. "It does. I'm not the strongest nathrezim for nothing. The strongest and smartest."

"That's why Lord Illidan managed to see through your trick," muttered Kelrian.

Exadius raised a brow. "What did you say?"

"Nothing of importance," replied Kelrian and remained cool.

Exadius drilled his finger in his left ear. "My hearing is still not as good as it used to be. Anyway, let's finish this so that I can bring you to another world as soon as you get used to your new power. You need to find my allies and tell them about our pact. Tell them to look for a way to free me from this prison. You might have to help them to get rid of Kil'jaeden's agents."

"I will."

Exadius smiled. "Good." He conjured a golden goblet and a knife. He put his sword aside and cut his palm, filling half of the goblet with his blood. His blood had a light greenish colour. He handed the goblet to Kelrian. "If you drink it, our pact is sealed."

Kelrian regarded the liquid in the goblet. He hesitated for a moment but then he brought the goblet to his lips and took a sip. The taste was nasty so he quickly drank it until the goblet was empty. Exadius' grin was wider than ever. "You only needed to drink a few drops, but..."

Kelrian wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand. "It is done and that is all that matters for me."

"Do you feel a difference?" the demon asked.

Kelrian shook his head. "No."

"Then you have to wait a bit longer."

Kelrian did. As expected, something happened. His body started to hurt suddenly. His muscles burned like fire and his head hurt so badly that he feared it would explode the next moment. His arm stump itched unpleasantly so did his destroyed eyeball. Kelrian dropped to the floor, rolling himself together. His back started to hurt, loud painful screams escaped his lips. He tried to move but the pain paralyzed him. He wanted it to stop. He wanted nothing more than the pain to stop. But it didn't stop. It got worse and worse with each passing minute. But then it suddenly stopped.

Kelrian got up slowly as soon as he was convinced that the pain was gone and wouldn't return. He spotted a mirror not far away from him. He didn't hesitate to walk over to it and regard himself in the mirror. His eyes widened as he saw his reflection. His eyes. Not singular. Plural. He had two functioning eyes. Not only one. Two.

His left eye was still green but it was fel green instead of normal green as it had been before. His other eye was golden. The same golden colour Exadius' eyes had. Not only his eye had been restored, his left forearm had regrown but it looked different. It was fel green and looked more like the forearm of a demon than of a humanoid creature. It was much thicker than his other forearm, his fingers were longer and thicker as well. His fist was larger. Golden symbols were tattooed on the skin which was much thicker. It would protect him better from sharp weapons than the skin that covered the rest of his body.

His new eye and forearm were not the only things that had changed. His body was taller and more muscular in general. Kelrian regarded himself in the mirror for a few more moments before he turned his head and looked at his new partner.

"You know what you have to do now," the dreadlord said.

Kelrian nodded. "I do."

"Are you ready?"

Kelrian nodded again. "I am."

The nathrezim smiled and started to cast a spell, creating a portal within half an hour. "Now go," he said when he was done.

Even though Kelrian didn't know where the portal would bring him, he didn't hesitate to walk through it. He was totally trusting the demon without knowing if that was a mistake or not. He had no idea what consequences the pact will have for him. He had no other choice than to trust Exadius. Even though he barely knew him, he trusted him with his life.

He had to.


	43. Homeland

Massive walls surrounded the gate which didn't look too old. It was the replacement of the main gate that had been destroyed by the Scourge. The main gate had stood in the middle of the southern wall of old Silvermoon. Nothing was left of the old gate. All that was left of the gate were pieces of wreckage scattered over the Dead Scar. The new gate was not in the middle of the remaining wall. It was on the right side.

It was not as large as the main gate had been but still large enough. Sylvanas wondered why they had made it so large. The previous gate had been so tall and huge because the architects had found it more aesthetic that way. But there was no need for aesthetics in these times, especially since the resources of the sin'dorei were limited.

Sylvanas assumed that at least. She had no idea if the sin'dorei were lacking resources or not. Nevertheless, she considered it a waste of resources to build such a huge gate. She could only assume that the architects didn't want to give up their pride, their culture and their ideals of beauty.

It was also possible that they had made it so large to signalize other nations that they were not defeated. Maybe they wanted to prove that they still had the resources to rebuild their city and pose a threat to the Scourge. It was not unlikely that they wanted to make Silvermoon look as impressive as possible to scare enemies away. People will think twice before attacking Silvermoon when it had such a huge gate and thick walls that surrounded the city.

Silvermoon looked so different from the last time Sylvanas had seen it. It was a lot smaller. Only the right half had been mostly rebuilt, the left half still laid in ruins. Scourge minions and wretched elves roamed through the ruins of Silvermoon. Alleria had told her that the wretched had once been sin'dorei who had failed to control their innate addiction to magic. They had changed due to the lack of arcane energy.

They were attacking every creature that crossed them and tried to devour the magic inside their bodies. They were a dangerous threat to anyone and the sin'dorei had not managed to get rid of all of them. People usually avoided the ruins of Silvermoon but Alleria and Sylvanas knew that the wretched problem had to be solved one day if the sin'dorei wanted to reclaim all of their lost territories. There was much to do in Quel'Thalas and Sylvanas wanted to help the sin'dorei whenever she could. She would do everything in her power to help them because she knew if she would do that, the blood elves would help her defeating Arthas and the Scourge.

Sylvanas regarded the distant ruins for a few more moments before she looked at her older sister who pointed at the gate. Sylvanas nodded and followed her, knowing that her rangers and Alleria's men were behind her. Sylvanas felt the guards' eyes on her and her Forsaken as soon as they approached them.

The blood elves' eyes were widened, shocked expressions could be seen on their faces. Sylvanas had expected that. It was not their first time to see undead creatures but it was their first time to see undead creatures accompanying their leader. Especially when one of them was a well-known person who had once been very popular among the elves.

They were shocked and surprised to see Sylvanas. Some were disgusted while others were either curious or alarmed. Some of them had put their hands on the handles of their swords, others had raised their weapons a little. They lowered them as they noticed the calm look on their leader's face but they still remained attentive and worried. "There is no need to use your weapons, guards. These undead creatures, who call themselves Forsaken, come in peace. "They are not our enemies."

"Are you sure, Regent Lady?" the guard with the highest rang asked. It was a male with long honey-coloured hair. He had a scar on the left side of his cheek, his eyes were dark blue.

"I am, Captain," responded Alleria with a calm voice.

"But... They are undead," said another guard, a female with green-dyed hair.

Sylvanas looked at the woman. "We never asked to become undead, didn't we? We fought against them just as you did. The only difference between you and me is that I didn't survive the defence of Silvermoon. None of us did. We were raised by Arthas and his vile necromancers and we were forced to serve him. We didn't do that voluntarily. But now we are free and want nothing more than killing that bastard and making him pay for what he did to us, to the sin'dorei and to Quel'Thalas."

The woman said nothing in return. Her gaze rested on Sylvanas, her facial expression still reflected concern. Sylvanas stared at her, causing the woman to avert her gaze eventually. Sylvanas looked at her sisters, noticing that they were giving her curious looks. "Is something wrong?"

Alleria and Vereesa shook their heads. "No," they said in unison.

"What are we waiting for then? As you know, we can't bear the sun for too long. I don't want to be exposed to it any longer than necessary," Sylvanas said.

Alleria nodded and looked at the captain. "Let us pass."

"But, Regent Lady...We..."

"That's an order, captain," responded Alleria with a serious voice.

"As you wish, Regent Lady," replied the man and lowered his head, stepping aside. His men followed his example, making enough space for the Windrunner sisters and their companions. They walked through the gate, arriving on the main road of Silvermoon. Dozens of citizens were gathered there and minding their own business.

Some of them spotted the undead and pointed at them, alarming sound escaped their lips. The citizens around them turned their heads and looked at them too. Shock and surprise were reflected on their faces. Their expressions were similar to those the guards had made. They looked worried but they didn't break out in panic. They didn't run away or screamed. They stood still and closely observed Sylvanas and her companions.

"You don't need to fear them. They are not our enemies. They are fighting the Scourge as we do. They are on our side, so they won't do you any harm. Trust me, citizens of Silvermoon," Alleria spoke loudly so that everyone could hear her.

The citizens trusted Alleria but they remained cautious. They recognized Sylvanas and realized that the rumours about her were true. They had loved her in life but now they were afraid of her. Not everyone but a portion of them. They were suspicious of her. Others were shocked to see what Arthas did to their beloved Ranger-General. Sylvanas assumed that some of them were regarding her as an abomination, as something that shouldn't exist.

She didn't care what these individuals thought about her. What was important to her were the opinions of the majority of the sin'dorei and the opinions of her sisters. She had their favour already, so she only needed the favour of the citizens. She had her sisters behind her and the king was not against working with her. But she also needed the favour of the new Ranger-General. She had to find her successor and convince them that she was not the enemy of the sin'dorei. If she had all these popular people behind her, it would be easier to win the favour of the citizens.

Alleria was aware of the tense and awkward situation so she did something to loosen it up. She put her left hand on Sylvanas' shoulder, giving her a nod. This gesture was only a small gesture but it meant a lot to Sylvanas and to the people around them. It signalized the blood elves that Alleria was not afraid of her. Alleria had always been one of the persons the citizens looked up to the most. Since she had accepted the position as Regent Lady, more and more people had started to look up to her and choose her as their role model. The people had put their trust in her and the king.

The people saw that their leader was touching the woman they had looked up the most since she became Ranger-General. This small gesture signalized them that Alleria trusted her. Some were still suspicious of Sylvanas but most of the gathered inhabitants relaxed. Some gave her small smiles, others addressed her by her name or her former title as they greeted her.

Ranger-General. It had been a long time since Sylvanas had been called that. It sounded weird in her ears. Wrong. She was no longer their Ranger-General and she will never be Ranger-General again, even if she wanted. She was undead and could never take that position again. She didn't want to be Ranger-General because she was already the queen of Undercity. She already had enough responsibilities and tasks to do. She was already busy enough these days. She barely had any time for herself even though she no longer needed to sleep. She was busy all day and night.

Alleria noticed the barely recognizable smile on Sylvanas' lips. She stared into her eyes, keeping her hand on her shoulder. She pulled away eventually and looked ahead. "We should make our way to Sunfury Spire."

"Yes, please. The sun starts to make us feel uncomfortable. Let's go to a place where we are not exposed to the sun," suggested Sylvanas.

"We should go to my office then. There we can talk in private."

"I like that idea."

"Let's go then."

* * *

The first thing Sylvanas noticed as she entered the spire was the different colour of the decorating elements. The colours of the curtains and carpets had been blue when she had last visited the spire. They were red now. Blood red.

"You redecorated the spire," mentioned Sylvanas as she let her gaze wander.

"The Scourge devasted the spire, so we had to renovate the interior furnishing. We have chosen red as the main colour. We are no longer high elves, we are blood elves and we wanted to live up for that name. As you noticed, more people are wearing red colours these days. The Silvermoon Guards wear red armour, most mages wear red robes. The windows of the spire and other important buildings are made out of red decorative glass, the roofs are covered by red tiles. Red is our primary colour these days," explained Alleria.

Sylvanas gave her an irritated look. "Isn't red the colour of the Horde? I thought you want to remain with the Alliance."

"I have no intention to ally myself with the Horde if that's what you are afraid of."

"I'm afraid of nothing," responded Sylvanas. She stared into her sister's eyes, signalizing her that she was serious about this.

"I believe you, sister."

"So you want to re-join the Alliance?"

"There is no Alliance which we can re-join. The Alliance fell apart when Garithos tried to execute our brethren. We have to create a new one. At the moment, the kaldorei and the sin'dorei are the only members of the new founded Alliance. The Forsaken will be the third member if you agree to work with us. All you have to do is to help us fighting the Scourge and send troops and resources when needed. We will do the same of course."

"I still want to join you."

Alleria and Vereesa smiled at her. "We are glad to hear that."

Sylvanas said nothing in return. She just followed her sisters through the long corridor in which guards were patrolling. They didn't stop walking as they spotted her but their gazes rested on her, they even turned their heads and looked over their shoulders. Sylvanas had still not gotten used to the unpleasant gazes she received from some people.

She had enjoyed being everyone's eye-catcher in life but since her death she hated it. She hated that many creatures were staring at her with shocked expressions on their faces and open mouths. She hated it but there was nothing she could do about it. It was only understandable that people who had known her in life were shocked to see what she had become.

She was wondering how Kelrian would react if he would see her. If they would ever meet again. She had no idea where he was nor did she know if he was alive or not. She hadn't heard of Kael'thas since months. She was eager to find out how Kelrian and Raesh were doing but she didn't dare to ask her sisters, at least when others were around. She might ask them when they would be alone.

They reached the end of the corridor and came to a door in front of which a few guards stood. They gave Sylvanas similar expressions as those guards who had passed them. Sylvanas ignored them and waited until the door was opened, following her sisters. They entered Alleria's office. Sylvanas let her gaze wander, noticing that the room looked similar to the office she once had as Ranger-General. The furniture was similar and the positions where the pieces of furniture stood were almost identical. The only big difference was that Alleria's carpet was crimson red and not blue like hers.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on her sisters who were giving her curious looks. Alleria pointed at the two chairs in front of her desk. "Take a seat, Sylvanas. You too, Vereesa."

Vereesa didn't hesitate to sit down. Only Sylvanas needed a few more moments before she sat down and crossed one leg over the other. Sylvanas' gaze fell on the framed photos on the desk. She picked up one of them, examining it closely. She ran her fingers over the glass, her eyes stared at the three women. She took a closer look at her old self. She had been so beautiful when she had been alive. Beautiful and full of joy. These days, she was neither alive nor full of joy. A year ago, anger had been all she had left.

Now, things were different. She still had her family who would support her. They didn't fear her, otherwise, Alleria wouldn't have touched her. She assumed that Alleria was not aware of how much that small gesture meant to her. She was sure Alleria had mostly done it to signalize the inhabitants that they didn't need to be afraid of her. Nevertheless, it had meant a lot to her. It had felt good to be touched again by a person who had meant so much to her in life.

Sylvanas had had phases where she had not cared about the living members of her family. She had hated them and had been jealous of them. Jealous that they had survived and had not been forced to go through all the pain she went through. She had been jealous that they were still alive.

But she was no longer jealous of them. She no longer hated them. She had noticed that they still meant a lot to her. Shewas certain that the bonds between her and them will never be the same again but she would do anything to create new bonds and make them as strong as possible.

Sylvanas regarded the picture for quite some time before she put it back on the desk. "I don't have a single photo of us. I don't have a single item left that I have owned in life. Except for the ring but it's not mine..."

Alleria leaned forward and put her hand on Sylvanas', giving her a comforting smile. "Now that we are alone, you can talk to us about anything. Don't hold back."

"I'm not a very talkative person. I never was."

"Well, that's not quite right," said Vereesa. "You used to talk to us and our family a lot." Vereesa looked at her oldest sister, giving her a questioning look. Alleria suspected what she was silently asking and gave her a quick nod.

Vereesa looked back at Sylvanas. "You talked a lot with Kelrian." She noticed the change of Sylvanas' gaze but she had no idea what that meant. Suddenly, Sylvanas appeared sad to her. Vereesa parted her lips, intending to ask her if she was alright but no words escaped her lips. She closed her mouth again and averted her gaze, looking at her fingers.

Alleria's gaze remained on Sylvanas who was toying with the ring on her wedding finger while completely lost in thoughts. None of the three sisters said anything. The silence was awkward and unpleasant but none of them broke it. Only when Sylvanas looked up and noticed that her sisters were at a loss of words, she decided to ask something. Something which was in her mind since she got her free will back.

"How is Kelrian doing?"

Vereesa turned her head to look at Alleria, silently asking her if she wanted to respond to Sylvanas. Alleria gave her a small nod and looked at her middle sister. "We haven't heard of him since he went to Outland with the king. We have no idea what he had done in the past months. We have no idea what exactly our brethren are doing on Outland. All we know is that the king is searching for a cure for our addiction to magic."

"He is looking for a cure for over a year, isn't he?"

Alleria nodded. "After the mages destroyed the corrupted Sunwell, he started looking for a cure but..."

"But he hasn't found anything yet. Otherwise, he would already have returned," completed Sylvanas.

"Exactly."

Sylvanas ran her fingers over her forehead. "What is Outland?"

"Outland is another world. The world of the orcs, or what is left of it. Outland is a shattered world. The king described it like that in one of his letters."

"So Kelrian is on another world... I don't like that idea...," Sylvanas whispered. Alleria and Vereesa had heard every single word due to their good hearing. "You miss him, don't you?" Vereesa asked.

Sylvanas was silent at first but then she nodded. She saw no reason in denying it. Kelrian was still important to her. She felt something for him. She was not sure if it was love but she knew that she had strong feelings for him. He was still very important to her. She wanted to meet him again. She wanted that more than anything else.

"I hope he is alive," she said quietly.

"We hope the same, sister," replied the youngest of the three sisters.

"What about my son? How is Raesh doing? Does he know about me?"

Alleria took a deep breath. "I didn't tell him about you yet. I wanted to find out first if you are on our side. I didn't want to give him any false hopes so I withheld that information."

"I assume that news of my return to Silvermoon will spread quickly. It's not unlikely that he will hear of it if he is still in Silvermoon," said the Banshee Queen.

"He is," replied her little sister.

"I should meet him."

"You should, Sylvanas. You should."

"I will."

Alleria took the floor. "Do you want to stay in Silvermoon for a few nights and think about everything or are you already sure that you want to join us?"

Sylvanas' voice sounded determinate. "I am. If the sin'dorei accept the Forsaken then I want to join you."

"We should ask the citizens in this case."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "And how would you do that?

"We can hold a speech in front of a gathered crowd and let them vote."

A thoughtful look appeared on the Banshee Queen's face. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Sylvanas shook her head.

"See. That's the best option we have. We will hold speeches tomorrow in the evening. We will announce it today so that the people have enough time to consider if they want to come or not."

"I think you are right but... I'm not sure if the sin'dorei want to listen to me."

Alleria gave her a comforting smile. "Most of them already know you are here. They have not forgotten what you did for them. They have not forgotten about your sacrifice. I believe they want to hear you."

The Regent Lady noticed that Sylvanas was a little insecure. She put her hand on Sylvanas', caressing it carefully. Sylvanas' eyes stared into hers. Alleria returned her gaze. "You don't need to be afraid, sis. Everything will turn out well."

Sylvanas nodded hesitantly. "And... What should I say to them?" she stuttered nervously.

Alleria put a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "Well, just say what comes in your mind. Tell them about our common goal and tell them why they should trust you and the Forsaken. Remind them what you did for them in the past. Speak about bringing Arthas to justice and that you want to help to rebuilt Quel'Thalas and make it as beautiful and glorious as it was in the past. I'm sure enough things you could say will come in your mind. You were an excellent speaker before the tragic events of the past and I believe you are still an excellent speaker. You just have to put faith in yourself. You have to be self-confident."

Sylvanas gave her older sister a thankful nod. "I think I can do that."

"I have no doubts you can."

"I will stay in Silvermoon as long as necessary," Sylvanas announced after she had been silent for almost five minutes. "We will hold our speeches and then see how the crowd reacts. If their reaction is positive, then I will join your Alliance."

"Malfurion Stormrage wants to meet you and speak to you before we do that. As a founding member of the new Alliance, he has a veto right. I can only allow you to join if he agrees but I have no doubt he will welcome you. I have no doubts you will manage to convince him. He is good at assessing people so I'm sure he will notice quickly that you are not evil. He will quickly realize that you are on our side and have the same motives as we have," Alleria responded.

"When will he come?" Sylvanas asked interested.

"I will send a messenger to him. I assume he will come to Silvermoon tomorrow if he has time."

"I will give my best."

Vereesa put a hand on Sylvanas' shoulder, making the undead elf turn her head to look at her. "Just be yourself, Sylvanas. If you act the same way you did over the past days then Malfurion will have no reason to not trust you."

Sylvanas gave her a small smile. "I hope so."

"Don't just hope. Have faith."

"I have faith, don't worry."

Sylvanas didn't show it, but she was glad that her sisters were supporting her. Having her sisters on her side meant a lot to her. She had feared they would hate her, be disgusted by her or even reject her and cast her out. She had been afraid they would regard her as an abomination. She had had these fears until the end of the meeting in Suncrown Village. During the meeting, she had still been afraid that things would end badly.

Fortunately, everything had gone right. Her sisters didn't hate her nor did they wanted to end her existence. They showed sympathy for her and wanted to support her whenever they could. She was glad that she had them. She was glad that they were not afraid of what they didn't understand. They were the best sisters she could imagine.

The three sisters did nothing but staring at each other for a while. This time, the silence was not awkward or unpleasant. On the contrary, they enjoyed the pleasant silence. It was Sylvanas who ended it eventually. "I think I'm ready to meet my son."

Her sisters smiled at her and got up. "Let's go to him then, shall we?"

Sylvanas got up as well. "Yes, please."


	44. Return

"It's good to be on Azeroth again," said Kelrian after he had stepped out of the portal. He let his gaze wander and checked his surroundings. He was in Quel'Thalas, in the desolate part in the south which was mostly occupied by the Scourge. At least it had been mostly occupied by the Scourge the last time he had been there. He had no idea if that was still the case.

The soil beneath his feet was grey, no signs of vegetation could be found in this area. At least no plants that were still alive. He saw dead trees and bushes, bones, skulls, bodies, weapons and armour pieces that were scattered all over the ground.

_This place looks desolate._

"It does," Kelrian said quietly.

_I bet these Ghostlands have been beautiful once._

"They have. But everything changed when Arthas came. This area once belonged to Quel'Thalas. The soil has been naturally brown and covered by green grass. The trees have been alive and their barks have been brown. Now even trees that are still alive do not look healthy at all. Their barks are grey and there are no leaves on their branches..."

_Do you think nature can be restored in this place?_

"You are the one who claims to be so smart, Exadius. Why don't you tell me what you think?"

The voice in his head chuckled. _I'm not a specialist when it comes to vegetation. I bet there are creatures who know a lot about it. The Dragon Queen or the mighty archdruid Malfurion Stormrage. I think they can do something about it._

"I doubt Malfurion will have the time for that. And even if, my people can't just contact him and ask him to help them."

_Why do you think that?"_

"Why should he? He has other things to worry about."

_Maybe because he and your people are allied and it's one of his duties as the archdruid to take care of all life forms of Azeroth, especially nature._

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise. "Allied?"

Exadius chuckled. _I wonder why you are so surprised. You worked with the night elves before. With Malfurion, Tyrande and Illidan._

"I know but our cooperation was never official. We never signed a contract. We just worked together to achieve a common goal," Kelrian said to Exadius who heard him clearly due to telepathy, although he was far away from him.

_It seems a lot happened in the last four years you've been away._

Kelrian's eyes became much wider, causing that the demon chuckled again. "Four years?"

 _While you searched for my allies and helped them to get rid of Kil'jaeden's agents who tried to kill them, four years passed on Azeroth. Time passes much faster on Azeroth than on the planet you have been._ Exadius explained.

"What happened in these four years?" Kelrian asked the demon.

_If I would tell you, where would be the fun in that?_

"Exadius," Kelrian said in a low but dangerous voice.

 _What?_ Exadius asked amused.

"If we want to achieve our goals, we should work together. You making fun of me or fooling me won't help us. This is outrageous."

The nathrezim sighed. _Fine, I will tell you what I know. As you know, I have my eyes and ears everywhere._

"I know that already. Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you know." Kelrian's voice almost sounded demanding.

_Nothing big had happened. The Scourge is still around and active but they have not made any big successful offensive."_

"What about my people?"

_They formed an alliance with the night elves, humans, dwarves, gnomes and even with the undead._

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "The undead? You mean Sylvanas' people?"

Kelrian could not see Exadius, he only heard his voice due to the demon's telepathic abilities but he was certain for some reason that Exadius had nodded. "I can't see you if you remember." Kelrian sounded a little frustrated.

Soft laughter escaped the nathrezim's lips. _Your wife and those who follow her work with the mortals for four years."_

"Were they successful?"

_Depends on how you define successful. The sin'dorei managed to reconquer seventy percent of their lost territories but the rest still belongs to the Scourge. The largest Scourge base in the Ghostlands is Deatholme in the south. The Dead Scar begins there._

"What about the territories of Lordaeron?"

_Do you mean the Plaguelands?_

"Plaguelands? Is that what the territories are called these days?

_They are. The Western and Eastern Plaguelands._

"Tell me about them," Kelrian said impatiently.

_There are many bases of the Alliance in the Eastern Plaguelands. The Scourge bases are in the north of this area. In the so-called Plaguewood. The biggest of the bases is Stratholme which is occupied by thousands of undead creatures. There is also a Scourge base in the east. There is some sort of a flying citadel in the Eastern Plaguelands but I have no idea how it is called and what its purpose is. I assume that lots of undead are in there._

"The best would be that you and your servants find out what is in there."

_I'll see what I can do._

"What about the Western Plaguelands?"

_There is not much Scourge activity there. The Alliance reclaimed these territories as theirs. The Scourge attack some of their bases from time to time but the Alliance repelled all of their attacks so far._

"That's something at least," Kelrian muttered, letting his gaze wander. He spotted dozens of undead that were scattered all over the section of the Dead Scar he had in his sight.

"What about my people? Are they alright?"

_They seem to be fine._

"Are you sure? Has my father found a solution for our hunger for magic?"

_I haven't paid much attention to the sin'dorei, to be honest. I can't tell you how they dealt with their addiction. You have to find that out by yourself. You want to return to Silvermoon, don't you?_

"I want but I want to see someone first."

 _Who?_ Exadius asked interested.

"Guess who."

_Your wife._

"I'm not sure I can still call her that but yeah, I want to see her."

_What stops you from going to Lordaeron and meet her?_

"Nothing but I don't want to meet her again without having a gift for her."

 _A gift?_ Exadius asked interested.

"Yes, a gift."

_What kind of a gift?_

A small smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "You will find out soon enough what I have in mind."

_I'm curious._

* * *

Kelrian was standing on top of the tower and regarded the base from above. He spotted hundreds of undead creatures that walked around the base, worked on something or stood around and did nothing at all. There were too many of them. Even with his newly gained power, he would not be able to take out an entire base alone. He could kill dozens before they would even reach him, he was sure of that but he also knew that the Scourge had powerful spellcasters that would attack him from afar. He had not forgotten about the nerubian poison that had prevented him from casting spells.

He knew better than doing any foolish moves. He was not alone but he would still not attack the base. He wouldn't risk the lives of his four companions. He wouldn't have to attack the base to achieve his goal. He was only there for one man. One man, he wanted dead for a long time. It was not Arthas. It was another man who was a thorn in the eyes of the sin'dorei. His name was Dar'Khan Drathir. Kelrian no longer felt the same anger for that man he had felt before he went to Northrend. He was no longer furious whenever the traitor's name came in his mind.

But that didn't mean he had forgiven him. Dar'Khan still deserved to pay for his treason and Kelrian will make sure that he will pay soon. But not by his hands. He was not there to kill that traitorous bastard. He was not the only one who wanted to make him pay and see him suffer. His brethren wanted him dead too and he assumed that the same counted for the Forsaken. He was sure Sylvanas would like the idea he had in mind.

Kelrian turned his head eventually, looking at his companions. He knew they would follow him everywhere he would go. They trusted him with their lives. He noticed the determination in their eyes as they looked at him. "Are you ready for some action?" he asked.

Danara nodded. "I am, Lord Sunstrider."

Kelrian smirked. "Perfect. You know what you have to do."

The female nathrezim nodded and started to cast a spell. "They will never see us coming," she said a moment before she was done. A transparent, barely visible dome was wrapped about her and the four others. Danara cast another spell together with her companions.

Kelrian just watched her, turning his head a little as he noticed that their location had changed. They were no longer standing on top of the tower, instead, they were standing in the middle of the base. They were in the middle of Deatholme and were surrounded by hundreds of creatures who were still minding their own business.

As expected, the undead couldn't see him and the four demons. They couldn't hear them either. They weren't aware of the intruders. Kelrian gave the order to move out and the demons obeyed, following him without hesitation. They passed lots of undead creatures as they walked to the middle of the base. There were nerubians, banshees, shades, abominations and lots of other ugly creatures but the group ignored them. They were not here for them. They were here for Dar'Khan.

Kelrian was no longer intimidated by the scary looks of these monsters. He no longer felt his innards getting cramped when looking at these ugly monsters. He assumed that fighting undead creatures for over a year and a half had made him resistant to their horrible looks. Maybe it was just the fel and Exadius' power that was responsible for that. Maybe it was a positive side effect or something like that.

The group reached the huge main building that stood in the middle of the base. On the building's top was a huge skull made out of stones. The ground around it was covered by green slime. Kelrian assumed it was a bad idea to step in the slime, so he made sure the demons avoided it. They came to the entrance that was guarded by several skeletons and two shades. No creature spotted them, not even the shades. The group entered the building, following the thin corridor. The floor was covered by grey tiles, the walls were grey too. Just like the entire base, the colour scheme of this building was dull and monotonous.

They came to a path that led to the next lower level. They followed the path and the next corridor until they came to a small side room. Dar'Khan Drathir stood in front of a table on which a map was spread out. Several undead creatures stood around him. Skeletons but also undead cultists. Dar'Khan was taking a closer look at the map as if he was trying to plan something. Maybe an attack. But Kelrian would not allow him to execute whatever plan he had in mind.

Kelrian turned his head, looking at the four demons. He received nods from them which told him that they were ready. "Take care of skeletons and spellcasters, I will take care of Dar'Khan."

"As you wish, milord," Xatorious said.

Kelrian walked over to Dar'Khan, examining him for a few moments. The traitor had changed so much. His skin was pale, his eyes were ice-blue, his hair was long and grey. Death hadn't done him any favour. He had once been handsome but now he was anything but that. He was ugly.

The undead mage had not noticed Kelrian's presence or the presence of his companions yet. He was unaware of those who came for him. Kelrian's facial expression reflected disgust when he was done examining him. Looking at this traitor made him sick. He was glad he wouldn't have to spend too much time with him. He only had to kidnap him and bring him to Sylvanas. He wouldn't have to deal with him for too long. On the other hand, he didn't just want to kidnap him. He wanted to make him suffer for his betrayal.

Dar'Khan was responsible for what happened to Kelrian's kingdom, to his people and to the love of his life. Without him, Arthas would have never managed to deactivate Ban'dinoriel. Without Dar'Khan's actions, Sylvanas would still be alive. His daughter, his niece, lots of members of his family and lots of his comrades and friends would still be alive. Kelrian will make him pay but he won't kill him. He was sure others would do that for him.

Kelrian counted to five and then grabbed Dar'Khan by the collar of his black robe, lifting him in the air. Dar'Khan's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the tall, muscular man who had appeared out of nowhere. His eyes rested on him as he tried to figure out who that man was. His eyes became wider as he recognized him. "Sylvanas' manwhore," he spat out and tried to grab his wand from his back but Kelrian flung him against the opposite wall before he was able to do that.

Dar'Khan rebounded and landed hard on the ground, a painful groan escaped his lips as he got up slowly. Kelrian had walked over to him in the meantime and kicked the traitor in the face when he managed to get onto his knees. Dar'Khan's head snapped back, dark red blood flowed out of his broken nose and burst bottom lip. He was lucky that Kelrian's kick had not been very strong. The blood elf had not wanted to squash the traitor's head, so he had only given him a soft kick. Nevertheless, Dar'Khan's nose was ruined and his jaw was slightly dislocated.

Dar'Khan needed more time to get up this time. "I thought you were dead," he hissed and began to cast a spell. Kelrian didn't allow him to finish his spell, sweeping him off his feet before he was done. Dar'Khan landed on the ground once again but this time, Kelrian didn't wait until he had gotten up.

He kneeled down and grabbed the undead elf by his collar, pulling his upper body up. His face was only inches away from Dar'Khan's, his green eye started into one of Dar'Khan's ice-blue ones. Kelrian's other eye was still covered by his hair. Half of his face could not be seen due to the long green hair that hid the right half his face.

"As you can see, I'm not dead but you are." He punched Dar'Khan hard in the face, breaking his jaw. A painful scream escaped the traitor's lips, making Kelrian smile. He enjoyed making Dar'Khan suffer for all the lives he had destroyed. He was not a sadist nor did he like torturing and hurting people. Normally, he only used violence when it was necessary.

It was not necessary in this case, because he could knock out Dar'Khan with a precise swing but he didn't want to do that. He knew that Sylvanas and his people would execute Dar'Khan as soon as they got all the information they wanted. He knew he wouldn't get the chance to make him suffer once he had brought them to Sylvanas. That was one of the reasons why he made him suffer now.

He hit him over and over again until nothing but a bloody mess was left of Dar'Khan's face. He threw him a few times through the room, kicking him while lying on the floor and even smashed his head a few times against the wall. He caused pain to him until he felt satisfied.

He stepped away from the traitor who laid on the floor and writhed in pain. Kelrian stared at him, a wide smile could be seen on his pale lips. He made sure that Dar'Khan wouldn't stand up before he turned his head and looked at the four nathrezim.

"Zenon."

The nathrezim with the dark blue wings looked at him. "What can I do for you, Lord Sunstrider."

"You will disguise as Dar'Khan and take his place. I want you to find out what the Lich King plans for Quel'Thalas. You have to inform me as soon as you get any useful information. Every piece of information matters if we want to destroy the Scourge."

The nathrezim put his fist on his blue chest plate, lowering his head in respect. "As you wish, Lord Sunstrider."

"Raise the undead you and your siblings killed so that nobody will notice what happened here. Stay careful."

"I will," assured the demon.

Kelrian turned his head, looking at Danara and her younger brothers. "Bring us out of here."

"Where do you want to go?"

"To Lordaeron of course."

_Your wife is not in Lordaeron, or Undercity as she calls the capital city of the Forsaken._

"Where is she then?" Kelrian asked quietly.

 _In Silvermoon._ Exadius responded.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Silvermoon? Why should she be in Silvermoon?"

 _Seems she and the other members of the Alliance have some sort of a meeting. I assume they're discussing how to take actions against the Scourge._ _You could wait until she returns to Undercity._

"I don't want to wait for so long. Also, I can present Dar'Khan to Sylvanas and my people if I go to that meeting. I guess it's time to announce that I'm back. I wonder how they react when they see me. They probably declared me dead after one year or two. I doubt anyone would expect me to return after four years. That makes the surprise even better."

_If you say so. I'm not sure that your idea is the best. If I were you, I would wait until she returns to Undercity._

Kelrian smiled, his voice clearly reflected self-confidence. "I don't see anything wrong with my idea."

_It's your choice, Kelrian. I won't stop you._

"You can't stop me, Exadius. Not after I gained so much power from you and Kil'jaeden's agents. I am so powerful."

 _Be careful, Kelrian. Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer._ The nathrezim's voice sounded warningly.

Kelrian grinned. "I'm not overconfident. I know my limits, I know how powerful I am. I have no doubts that you saw what I did to that traitor. He had not the slightest chance against me."

_He was not as powerful as other creatures that serve the Lich King._

"I know, Exadius. I know. I'm not a fool. I know I can't defeat the Lich King alone, that's why I seek out those who want him dead as badly as I do."

_Alright, partner. Do whatever you must do. Just make sure my children won't be harmed. Remember, you promised me to protect them._

Kelrian's gaze fell on the four nathrezim. Zenon had already taken on the appearance of Dar'Khan but the others had not changed. There were still in their original forms. "I always keep my promises, Exadius. You don't have to worry about them."

_Good._

"Bring us to Silvermoon," Kelrian said to Danara and her brothers. The nathrezim nodded and started casting a spell, creating a portal within half an hour. Xatorious wrapped Dar'Khan in clothes, picked him up and flung him over his shoulder. Kelrian looked at the three nathrezim who had not changed yet. "You should probably change your appearances too. I don't want our allies to break out in panic when they see you. No offence."

"It's okay, milord. We understand what you mean," responded Xatorious.

Kelrian was silent as he watched them altering their forms. He was used to seeing them changing their forms, so it did not shock him when he witnessed the distortion of their bodies. All of them looked like blood elves when they were done. Blood elves with green glowing eyes and armour that looked similar to his. He regarded them for a few moments and gave them an appreciating nod. "Follow me," he said and went through the portal.

* * *

Sylvanas massaged her temple with the tips of her fingers to relax a little. She hated official meetings. She had never liked them in life because they had usually endured for several hours. She hated them even more in death even though she had more time in general because she didn't have to sleep. She had never been a fan of politics but she knew how important these meetings were so she had always attended them. She had attended more meetings in the past four years than she had in the fifteen years after the end of the Second War before the Third War had started.

She knew the importance of each meeting, so she attended them without complaining about them. The Alliance wouldn't be able to defeat the Scourge if the separate kingdoms wouldn't work together. And to make their cooperation as efficient as possible, they had to meet often and discuss what to do. Meetings with only two or three other parties were much easier to bear than meetings with much more parties. All leaders of the Alliance were present. All of them had different ideas, opinions and requests. Such meetings usually endured at least five or six hours.

Sylvanas' mood was not the best on that day. It had not been the best before the meeting and it hadn't changed to the better in the past two and a half hours. They had spent too much time talking about Illidan Stormrage and his evil intrigues. The Alliance had not even managed to catch him and the leaders were already debating if he should be killed or imprisoned.

The parties had a disagreement. One half wanted him dead because they thought that the risk to try to take him captive would be too high, the other half didn't want to kill him. Sylvanas didn't care if Illidan would stay alive or die. All she wanted was that the problem with Illidan Stormrage would be solved soon so that they could focus on their main problem. The Scourge that had gotten stronger and stronger over the past years.

Sylvanas opened her eyes again, looking at the man who had addressed her. He was an old man with short grey hair and a goatee. He wore noble brown leather clothes just like the young man next to him. The man looked like a younger version of him, his hair was fire red and he had a chin beard. Sylvanas believed that his name was Liam. She had been a little distracted when Genn Greymane had introduced his son to the others, so she was not a hundred percent sure how he was called.

She had been distracted the whole time. She had often caught herself being lost in thoughts. Verena had nudged her gently with her elbow whenever she had noticed that her queen was absent-minded. The reason for her distraction was the date. It was on the seventh of June. For others, it was not a special day but for Sylvanas it was. It was the day where Kelrian had last been seen. A year later, he had been declared dead after Forsaken and sin'dorei scouts had searched for him in vain.

Sylvanas remembered the day as if it had happened yesterday. She had been so furious that she had destroyed every single piece of furniture in her office. She had ripped the books in pieces, destroyed the shelves, chairs and her desk with her sword and had blown up her armchair with dark magic. She had been so furious and broken. Her rage had been beyond her control and only Lyndia, her uncle and Verena had managed to calm her down together after a while.

She had cried thousands of dusty tears when she had been alone with Lyndia. She had cried and screamed his name. She had gotten very emotional for the second time since she had gotten free from the Scourge. The seventh of June was the only day where she allowed herself to be emotional. But she didn't show it to others. She needed all of her strength to keep up her poker face and pretended that she was alright. Verena and Lyndia knew she was not alright but they didn't say anything to her, at least when others were around. They remained silent and didn't show their queen that they were worried about her.

"Are you listening, Lady Windrunner?" Genn asked her again, his voice reflected annoyance.

Sylvanas stared at him for a few moments before she gave him an answer. "I am."

He raised an eyebrow. "What did I say?"

"You asked me if I have any proofs that the Scarlet Crusade attack my people from time to time," responded Sylvanas.

Genn raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. "And? Have you?"

Sylvanas regarded the human for a short moment. He was the only human leader she didn't like. He was annoying, always grouchy and he often questioned her and doubted what she said. He always demanded a proof for everything she said about groups of humans who were attacking the Forsaken. He didn't trust her even after the past two years where the sin'dorei, kaldorei, dwarves, gnomes, Forsaken and all human kingdoms had successfully worked together against the Scourge. She didn't expect him to ever trust her and her people. But she didn't need his trust. The trust of the other members of the Alliance was enough for her. They trusted her and she trusted them.

"I have," she responded and made a gesture. Verena stood up and took three scrolls out of her backpack. She walked over to the King of Gilneas and handed him the scrolls. "We captured one of their generals and found these documents in his backpack. The general received orders from High Inquisitor Sally Whitemane to attack all Forsaken bases near their territory. They still see us as their enemies and they even killed the ambassadors I sent to them. They were unarmed and carried white flags with them but the Scarlet Crusade didn't care. They killed all five of them and sent me their heads."

Genn unfolded the documents and read them with his son, handing them to King Varian Wrynn, who was sitting next to him, as soon as he was done. "What do we do about them?" asked the King of Stormwind. "We cannot just send an army to them and capture their leaders. They are also fighting the Scourge."

"You are right about that, your majesty. But we can't just let them do what they want. They are sabotaging us. The Scourge is getting stronger and stronger with each passing day and the Scarlet Crusade are making things more difficult for us. We don't have the biggest army, so we can't afford to fight against two enemies. The Scourge comes from the south-east and the Scarlet Crusade comes from the north-east. The Scarlet Monastery is not far away from our borders. They don't need long to reach Tirisfal Glades and attack the nearest base."

"That's a big problem indeed," said Malfurion and made a thoughtful face.

"We should send more ambassadors to the Scarlet Monastery but they shouldn't be undead," suggested Tyrande.

"Most of the members of the Scarlet Crusade are humans so we should send a human ambassador but one who is known to the Scarlet Crusade," suggested Alleria.

"But we shouldn't send a member of any royal house. I don't trust the Scarlet Crusade. It's not very unlikely that they kidnap the ambassador if it's one us. The worst what could happen would be that the Scarlet Crusade would try to blackmail us if they have a hostage of great importance," said Jaina Proudmoore.

"We should meet with them outside their base. That way, they should not be able to take us captive if they are only allowed to brin' a certain amoun' of men with them," suggested the dwarven king Magni Bronzebeard.

"We could send them a message but we cannot be sure that they will reply," said Sylvanas. "We can only hope they do. Even if they agree to a meeting, I don't think they will change their minds, no matter what you say. They are too stubborn."

"That may be possible but we will never find out if we don't try," said Rhonin. Sylvanas looked at her brother-in-law, noticing the determination in his eyes. He was convinced of this idea, so was his wife. Vereesa gave Sylvanas a small nod as she noticed that her crimson eyes on her. Sylvanas turned her head to look at Alleria who sat to Vereesa's left. "Maybe we should send members of the Kirin Tor if the Scarlet Crusade agrees to a meeting," Sylvanas said.

Rhonin nodded. "I will volunteer to meet with them. We can even invite them to Dalaran under the pretext that we want to talk about the campaigns against the Scourge. That wouldn't be a lie in our case."

"Even if it would be a lie, I don't care. I want the Scourge gone by any means but I can't fight them if the Scarlet Crusade is sabotaging us all the time. We need to solve that problem so that we can deal with the next. The next of many that will follow," said Sylvanas.

"I will write a letter to the High Inquisitor. Does anyone have any objections?" Rhonin asked. The other members of the Alliance shook their heads. Rhonin sighed. "Alright, let's go to the next topic." He paused and looked at his notes. "Kael'thas Sunstrider..."

He paused for a moment and then put his notes aside, letting his gaze wander. He noticed the tense expressions on the faces of the others. He knew that the next subject was delicate. Everyone had been shocked when they had found out what the king of the blood elves had done. The blood elves and the Forsaken had been shocked the most that their king had turned against them. Rhonin could see the hurt in Vereesa's, Alleria's and Sylvanas' eyes. Even Malfurion and Tyrande, who had once worked with the blood elf king, had been very shocked by the news.

Rhonin had known Kael'thas because he had been a member of the Kirin Tor just like him. He had been a member of the Council of the Six. Kael'thas had been an honourable man who would have done everything to save his people. After the devastation of his homeland, he had left the Kirin Tor to help his people. He had followed his own path to damnation. Rhonin was disappointed in him. Disappointed and a little angry. He knew they had to stop his plans. They had to stop them by any means, otherwise, something bad will happen. He was certain of that.

Rhonin opened his mouth, wanting to say something as a portal just appeared out of nowhere. His face showed confusion as he regarded it. But he was not the only one who was more than just surprised about the sudden appearance of the portal. Everyone was as surprised as he was. A frown could be seen on Sylvanas' forehead, one of her brows was raised and her crimson eyes were narrowed.

Her gaze rested on the portal. She was wondering who would come through it. She couldn't believe that this had even happened. The Kirin Tor had promised that the wards they had placed in the room would prevent the creation of portals or the use of teleportation spells and items. Even hearthstones didn't work there. She could only assume that the spell was a very powerful one that was spoken by a very powerful person. Maybe even by more than just one person. The spell must be very powerful to overcome the wards.

She noticed that the edge of the portal was not was green. Fel green. She could only assume that someone who was capable of using fel magic was responsible for the creation of that strange portal. Like all the others, Sylvanas was patiently waiting for someone to step out. None of them had any weapons, meaning that they would have a problem if any foe would step through that portal. At least, Rhonin and the two mages he had brought with him were able to do something. They had already begun to cast spells in case a demon or any other foe would arrive and attack them. Sylvanas noticed that Malfurion was also casting a spell.

The only weapons Sylvanas had with her was a pair of small daggers which were hidden beneath the soles of her shoes. She could also use dark magic to attack whoever would appear through the portal. She was not defenceless. Nothing happened in the first two minutes but then a man stepped through the portal.

The first thing he did was to check his surroundings quickly, a surprised look appeared on his face. It seemed that he had not expected to come out in this room. Three creatures appeared shortly after him. Two males and a female. All of them were sin'dorei. Their eyes were fel green just like Alleria's and Vereesa's eyes. One of the males carried a person wrapped in cloth on his shoulders.

Sylvanas had never seen the two men and the female before but the man who had come out of the portal first seemed familiar to her. Sylvanas' crimson red eyes regarded him from head to toe. He wore fel green armour which covered his whole body. Only his head was unprotected. He had long pale blond hair, the strands of hair that covered the right side of his face were green.

He was unshaved but there was not enough hair on his face to call it a full beard. He might grow a full beard one day but Sylvanas doubted it would suit him. Only a small amount of sin'dorei wore beards because beards did not suit most elves. Especially full beards didn't look good on most sin'dorei. Sylvanas was sure the man would look much better without a beard.

Because of the beard and the hair that covered half of his face, she needed a few moments longer to recognize the familiar features. The familiar chin, the forms of his lips and his nose. His eye had a different colour but she could still recognize the special form of the iris. The way his hair was combed was special too. She had no doubt who that person was.

It was _him_.

She was sure of that.

She was sure it was him.

The love of her life.

Her everything.

Her husband.

Her Kelrian.


	45. Reunions

He was alive. Kelrian was really alive. He was not dead as she had thought. He was healthy and very much alive. He had finally returned after all these years. She couldn't believe it. For the first time since she broke free from the Scourge, she felt something she would consider as happiness.

If she would be alive, her heart would have hammered in her chest and her skin would have tingled nervously. Her eyes were widened in surprise, her lips were parted, her mouth was slightly open but no sound escaped her lips. She was stunned and she couldn't think clearly because too many thoughts crossed her mind. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She closed her eyes and opened them after a few moments but Kelrian was still standing there. He was not a dream or an imagination. He seemed to be real but she still couldn't believe it.

She had thought he was dead. She had thought that he had gotten killed in Northrend by the Scourge. She had thought that he would be undead if she would ever see him again but he was neither dead nor undead. He looked more alive than ever. He was also much taller than she remembered.

Sylvanas' face reflected surprise, her widened eyes still rested on him. She couldn't avert her gaze nor could she say anything. She wanted to say something. She wanted to say his name and get his attention that way but she didn't need to do that. She already had his attention. Kelrian was staring at her, he was not surprised by her look because he had already seen her in the vision.

His gaze rested on her for nearly two minutes, then he turned his head and looked at the others. He saw familiar faces but also people he had never met before. The people who recognized him were as surprised as Sylvanas while those who didn't know him were shifting their gazes between him and the others. Kelrian looked at Rhonin and the mages by his side who directed their prepared spells at him.

_I wonder what these mages are going to do. I doubt they can do you any harm as long as you wear the armour._ Exadius said to him.

Kelrian lifted his hands to signalize that he didn't have any bad intentions. "I don't want to hurt anyone. There is no need for violence."

Sylvanas' voice was thinner and quieter than usual but at least she was finally able to say something. "Kelrian... Is it really you?"

_Someone missed you. Seems you are still important to her._

Kelrian turned his head and looked at Sylvanas, giving her a small smile. "Yes, it's me. The one and only."

"We thought you were dead," said Alleria. "Your entire unit didn't return to Outland nor did they return to Silvermoon."

_I wonder if they know about the massacre that happened in Northrend four years ago._

Kelrian looked at his sister-in-law. "My entire unit died that day. Our plan horribly backfired. We have underestimated the Scourge and they tricked us." He looked at Tyrande. "They had dragons, gargoyles and flying nerubians neither our scouts nor your owl spotted."

"We already know that," responded the priestess. "But we have no idea how you survived."

_Now I wonder how much you will tell them, Kelrian._

"I don't know it either. Arthas was about to kill me as someone or something teleported me away. I found myself in another place."

Tyrande made a gesture, signalizing him to continue. Kelrian let his gaze wander, letting it rest on Sylvanas who was still surprised and a little nervous at the same time. "I needed some time to get out of this place. I'm already aware that four years passed on me, eight months passed. I fought agents of the Burning Legions, made new allies and became stronger. And now I am here, ready to fight the Scourge. I assume you wouldn't trust me for now, that's why I brought you a gift."

Kelrian made a gesture and Xatorious dropped the body wrapped in clothes on the ground, removing the white material. The eyes of the sin'dorei and Forsaken widened as they recognized the man despite his bloody and disfiguredface.

"Dar'Khan Drathir... How... How did you manage to get him?" Sylvanas asked. A mix of surprise and doubt was seen on her face. She had never expected anyone to catch the traitor because he had never left Deatholme since he had been put in charge of the base.

"My companions and I sneaked in the base and kidnapped him but we didn't only do that. We left one of us behind who disguised himself as Dar'Khan and took his place. That way we can find out what the Lich King is planning. We will be informed early enough if the Lich King plans another assault on Quel'Thalas. We will have more time to do something about it. Also, I'm sure Dar'Khan has a lot of useful information. We just have to make him speak," Kelrian explained, a confident smile could be seen on his face. His gaze didn't leave Sylvanas' face. They stared at each other.

_You can't take your eyes off each other, can you?_ asked Exadius _._ Kelrian ignored him again.

"So you went into the base and kidnapped him? Just like that? There are thousands of Scourge minions in the base. How did you manage to do that?" asked Varian. His face reflected doubt.

_He doesn't believe your story yet. If I were him and would have a human brain, I wouldn't believe it either. I'm not sure if he would believe you if you tell him the truth. I doubt his human brain is capable to understand_ _what we can do with our power. If only he would know how powerful we are._

Kelrian averted his gaze to look at the King of Stormwind. "My companions and I created a powerful spell which allowed us to sneak through the base without getting seen. Even their shades didn't see us. We reached Dar'Khan and captured him. He resisted so I hit him until he stopped resisting. I could have killed him for his treason against my people but I thought that he would be more useful to us if I let him live."

Rhonin cleared his throat, getting Kelrian's attention that way. "How did you manage to get into this room. We put wards in the room which purpose is to prevent anyone from entering or leaving this room by using magic."

Kelrian shrugged. "I told Danara to bring us to Silvermoon but somehow we landed in this room. Seems she miscalculated a little."

_Indeed she did. I did not expect my sweet little girl to mess up this simple spell._

"But that doesn't explain how your spell ignored our wards and broke the barrier," responded the leader of the Kirin Tor.

"Fel magic is the reason," Danara responded. "Your wards protect you against teleportation spells based on the use of arcane magic but I combined fel magic and arcane magic to create the portal. Seems that I underestimated the effect the fel would have on the portal. I think that's the reason why we landed in this place and not in front of the spire as I have planned."

Kelrian took the floor. "Anyway, I didn't plan to disturb you at your important meeting. I will wait outside if you don't mind. You can ask me anything anytime. I could bring Dar'Khan to the prison in the meantime if you want."

Alleria who had organised this meeting looked around, noticing the mixed expression on the faces of the others. "I think it's best if you do that. We have much to talk about. We will see you later."

Kelrian gave her a nod and looked at Sylvanas, noticing the passive expression on her face. Her gaze didn't leave him as he and his companions walked over to the room's exit. Kelrian gave her one last look and winked at her before he left the room and closed the door behind the guards that were following him. They guided him to the prison of Silvermoon and locked Dar'Khan in the darkest cell they had.

Kelrian and the disguised demons left the prison and walked back towards Sunfury Spire. Kelrian was about to enter it as he spotted a familiar person sitting near the fountain. It was his son who looked older and more mature. Raesh was a head taller and more muscular than the last time Kelrian had seen him. He wore an expensive red-golden robe, his blond hair was made up in a ponytail. His green eyes rested on the book he was holding in his hand. A man stood not far away from him. Kelrian recognized him as one of the royal servants who had served his father.

_He looks like a younger version of you. He has Sylvanas' eyes but they are as green as the eyes of the other sin'dorei. Seems that the even the eyes of those who didn't consume fel energy changed. Fel magic doesn't only affect its users but also those who are near them. These days, most sin'dorei have emerald eyes. Just like your son._ Exadius told.

Kelrian regarded Raesh and the servant for a few moments, then he walked over to them and stopped in front of his son. He wanted to put a hand on his shoulder but the servant stepped between him and prevented him from touching his son. Kelrian raised an eyebrow and regarded the servant curiously. He had blood-red hair and was very tall but not as tall as him.

"How dare you trying to touch the prince without his permission," the servant snarled.

_Who does he think he is? If only he knows who you are._

Kelrian remained calm, tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Prince?"

"Don't you know who that man is? How dare you? What an insolence. This is Prince Raesh Windrunner, son of Sylvanas Windrunner and Crown Prince Kelrian Sunsinger. He is the grandson of Kael'thas Sunstrider which makes him to the Crown Prince of Quel'Thalas after the death of his father."

Kelrian gave the servant an amused smile. He turned his head and looked at Raesh, noticing that he was also looking at him. Raesh's eyes were widened, the expression on his face told Kelrian that he recognized him.

"Father...Is it...Is it really you?" stuttered the young man.

Kelrian pushed the servant away and pulled his son in a tight embrace, putting a hand on his back. "It is me, my son."

Tears of happiness formed in Raesh's eyes. "I can't believe it... It is really you... I...I thought you were dead."

"Fortunately, I'm still alive, my son." Kelrian held the hug for a few minutes and then pulled away, giving his son a smile. "You have grown into a splendid young man. You look good."

Raesh blushed. "Thank you." He regarded his father from head to toe. "You have changed. Your face, your outfit..."

"My appearance might have changed but I'm still the same. The same man who wants to destroy the Scourge by any means."

Raesh gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you are back. I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Raesh sighed. "The past years have not been easy. I got my mother back but I lost my father and then I heard about the fate of my sister... I heard about our bloodline which didn't make things easier. Suddenly, I was in the centre of attention and lots of people wanted to see me and speak to me. Aunt Alleria and Aunt Vereesa helped me to deal with the new popularity. Mother also showed up from time to time and spoke to me and even trained me."

Kelrian put a hand on Raesh's shoulder. "We will find your sister and we will free her from the Lich King's control. Your mother broke free so I have no doubts that Sylvera can break free too if we manage to weaken the Lich King."

"I hope we can accomplish that."

Kelrian regarded his son once again. "Prince Raesh. That doesn't sound too bad. So the king told you that I'm his son and you are his grandson."

"He did. I was very surprised of course. I would have never imagined that your father is the king himself. At first, I have been confused and overtaxed but the more time passed the more I have gotten used to it. But now that the king turned away from us and followed his own path... The reputation of our family has suffered."

"I don't care about reputation. I want to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas for everything he did to our kingdom, to our people and to our family. I will do anything necessary to achieve that goal."

Raesh smiled. "So will I, father."

Kelrian returned the smile, his gaze fell on the book he was holding. It was a study book for mages.

"You are interested in magic."

His son nodded. "The Kirin Tor noticed that I'm capable of using magic. They suggested me to go to Dalaran and get trained by an archmage."

Kelrian gave him an interesting look. "Who is your mentor?"

"Archmage Aethas Sunreaver."

"That's a good choice. He is a very powerful mage. After your grandfather, Magister Rommath and me, he is the most powerful mage of the sin'dorei."

Raesh nodded. "He is doing a great job. I really enjoy our lessons."

Kelrian smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm proud of you."

His son's eyes widened in surprise, his face reflected joy. "Thank you. Your words mean a lot to me."

Kelrian just smiled and said nothing in return. Raesh stared at him and then formulated a question that didn't want to leave his mind. "Where have you been in the past four years?"

Kelrian told him the same story he had told the leaders of the Alliance. He didn't want to reveal his pact with Exadius yet. Not when so many people were around him. He might tell Sylvanas about it or his sisters-in-law but only in private. He had to keep it secret from the public.

"You have missed a lot in the past years. A lot happened."

"I already know a few things but it wouldn't hurt to know everything."

"Why don't you sit down and I tell you everything I know. You should ask mother or Aunt Alleria and Aunt Vereesa for more details. They didn't tell me everything."

"I will ask them once their meeting is over," Kelrian responded and sat down, giving his son a curious look. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

* * *

Kelrian put the cut throat razor under the jet of water and cleaned it. Then he put it on the washbasin and looked in the mirror, regarding his face. He ran his fingers over his clean, flawless chin which was free of any hair. He hated beards, so he was happy to be shaved again. He regarded the tattoos on his upper body and then looked at his gloved left hand.

He removed the glove and took a closer look on his demonic hand. The golden symbols glowed stronger than the last time he had regarded them. He had no idea why they did that nor did he know what that meant. He could ask Exadius but he doubted the demon would answer him at the moment. He knew that the nathrezim was busy which meant he was not looking after him. The demon wouldn't hear that he would say, so he wouldn't answer.

Kelrian appreciated the demon's telepathic absence. Exadius comments and advices were mostly useful but he felt more comfortable when the nathrezim was not regarding him from another dimension. Also, he still had not gotten used to hearing Exadius' voice in his head.

He appreciated that the demon lord supported him whenever he could, but sometimes it annoyed Kelrian to have to hear him. He couldn't even turn the demon's voice off. All he could do was listen and hope his partner wouldn't get on his nerves. Fortunately for him, Exadius usually did not say too much.

Kelrian put his glove back on and pushed the strands of hair out of his face, revealing the right half of his face. His golden eye started to analyse his surroundings. He noticed the thin layer of dust on the window-sill and the dirt in the gaps between the blue tiles that covered the floor. He noticed his essence on the washbasin, in the shower and on the toilet lid.

Kelrian turned back to the mirror above the washbasin, taking a closer look at the right half. The golden symbols beneath his eye and on his cheek were new to him. They were as golden as the symbols on his left hand and forearm. He had no idea where they came from. His only assumption was that the demon blood that ran through his veins was responsible for their appearance.

Kelrian regarded himself for a few more moments before he covered the right half of his face with his hair and walked out of the bathroom. He went to the cupboard in the guest room and opened it. He examined the content, spotting many pairs of trousers and many shirts and blouses in different colours.

He put on a white undershirt and a green blouse. He walked to the bed and was about to lay down as he heard knocks at the door. He looked at the door and waited. The same person knocked again. He still waited. A third knock could be heard. This time, Kelrian walked to the door and put his left hand on the handle. He was wondering who was disturbing him at this late hour. He opened the door, his green eye widened a little as he recognized the person in front of the door.

His gaze hung on her crimson red eyes, fell on her pale blue lips and then moved to her breasts that were covered by a purple chest plate. His gaze wandered over her thick armour to her feet. He raised his gaze again, looking at her beautiful face. "I did not expect you to come to my room. At least not at this late hour," Kelrian said.

Sylvanas turned her head, checking her surroundings. No creature was in the same corridor as her but she knew that could change. She knew that someone might appear sooner or later and see them. She didn't want to be seen by anyone.

She looked back at Kelrian, taking a closer look at his handsome face. It was the only thing that had not changed, at least not too much. His hairstyle was different, his eye had a different colour, he was taller and appeared to be more muscular. She stared into his eye for a few moments and then cleared her throat. "Can I come in?"

Kelrian gave her a curious look and stepped aside. "Sure."

Sylvanas entered the room without hesitation, letting her gaze wander. The room was nicely furnished like all guest rooms in Silvermoon. She spotted his armour on the table on the left side of the room. The sword he had carried on his back laid next to it. The handle was a golden crystal which was shaped like an eye. She could not see the blade because it stuck in the sheath.

Her gaze fell back on Kelrian who was regarding her curiously. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, a small smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas had waited hours for this moment. She had not been able to think about anything else. She had only thought about him during the meeting.

She had hardly been able to concentrate on the meeting and had just sat there and listened more or less. The other leaders of the Alliance had discussed the different matters and made suggestions on what to do. She had just sat there, listened to them and agreed or disagreed with their ideas. She hadn't spoken too much. She had only thought about him. About the smile, he had given her before he had left the room.

"What can I do for you, Sylvanas?" he asked, his voice was calm and low.

Sylvanas was silent for a few moments, considered what she should say. Should she tell him how much she had missed him? How badly she had wanted to see him since he showed up? How devasted she had been when he had been declared as dead? How his declared death had affected her?

"I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you right after the meeting but you haven't been outside as you have said," responded Sylvanas.

"I waited for hours but the meeting was still not finished, so I decided to go to bed because it was already late. I informed one of the guards and went to this room," he explained.

"The meeting endured longer than expected. We had much to discuss. Your return for example."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, giving her a curious look. "What did the others say?"

"Not everyone trusts you. King Greymane is one of those who told the other leaders to be careful. He wants you to prove to us that we can trust you."

Kelrian frowned. "I brought you Dar'Khan Drathir. Isn't that proof enough?" he asked irritated.

"In my eyes it is, but the other leaders of the Alliance have a different opinion about that..."

An annoyed sigh escaped Kelrian's lips. "Seems I have to prove myself again. What do they want me to do?"

"Nothing for now, but we will inform you whenever you will be needed."

"Alright. I will do as they say."

"If you prove to us that we can trust you, you can join the meetings. As the son of Kael'thas you are the rightful ruler of Quel'Thalas now that he turned against us and made a pact with the Burning Legion," Sylvanas said.

"I can't believe my father did all of these things... Our son told me everything he knew. I can't believe my father changed so much..." Hurt and disappointment were hearable in Kelrian's voice.

Sylvanas' eyes reflected a small amount of sorrow. "Many think it was the fel magic that drove him crazy."

Kelrian was silent for a few moments. "Illidan Stormrage promised us that the fel will help us. He didn't inform us about the side effects it can have on creatures who consume too much of it. If I would have known that back then, I would have convinced my father to not consume it. We should have looked for another solution to satisfy our hunger for magic..."

"Your father was a good friend of mine. He was a good man who would have done anything to help the sin'dorei... His fate makes me sad... I am glad the same fate has not happened to you... I wouldn't know what to do if the fel would have driven you crazy too..." Sadness was reflected in her eyes, her voice was low and weak.

"Fortunately, I didn't."

Sylvanas gave him an agreeing nod. Her gaze still rested on his face, regarding it closely. They didn't say anything. The silence was uncomfortable but none of them said anything because they didn't know what they should say. They just stared at each other. Sylvanas' facial expression was neutral while a small smile could be seen on Kelrian's lips.

"My appearance doesn't seem to scare you," Sylvanas said eventually. "I thought it would. I feared you would be disgusted by me. I feared you would be shocked to see me like this but you aren't. You look at me as if nothing has changed..." Her voice reflected insecurity.

"I saw you in a vision, so I already knew how you looked like before I returned to Azeroth. To be honest, your appearance doesn't scare me. I'm not disgusted by you. On the contrary, I think you are very beautiful."

Sylvanas' eyes widened a little. It was obvious that she was surprised by the compliment she had not expected to get. "You really do?"

Kelrian nodded. "You were beautiful in life and you are still beautiful in death."

"So you don't see me as a monster?" she asked. She was more insecure than ever. She was rarely insecure about herself. She had always been very confident. She had never been so insecure in life before. Her death had changed that. Since her death, she was only insecure about herself when she thought about Kelrian. She was insecure when he was around. She was afraid he wouldn't like her. She was afraid he would push her away and choose another woman over her. She was afraid he would never love her again. If only she would know what Kelrian felt for her.

"You are not a monster. You may be undead but you are not a monster. I have fought at the side of a half-demon who I would rather call a monster than you. In my eyes, you are anything but a monster."

If Sylvanas' heart would still beat, it would have stopped beating for a few moments and then it would have started to beat rapidly in her chest. Sylvanas was stunned. Stunned by his confession. Stunned but happy at the same time. She was relieved that he didn't regard her as a monster. That had been her worst fear. Her worst nightmare. She was more than just glad about the discovery. Sylvanas made a step closer to him but didn't say anything.

Kelrian remained on his spot and tilted his head a little, regarding her curiously. "I have to say that you look good with your blue skin, your red eyes and your pale blonde hair **.** You are a true beauty. You were always beautiful and not even death managed to change that."

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a smile. She was blushing like a teenage girl who had received a compliment from a person they liked.

"You look good too," Sylvanas said in return.

Kelrian smirked. "I know. Thank you."

Sylvanas was silent for a few minutes, regarding her fingers. She looked at him again eventually and cleared her throat. "I'm glad you are back and alive. I feared the Scourge got you and turned you into one of their mindless minions. Your entire unit died, so I expected the worst."

"I survived but not without help. Someone saved me and brought me to a strange place where I fought against demons. I fought for months," he responded. He knew that this was not the entire truth. He left out some information so it was just a half-truth. He didn't want to lie to her or to anyone else but he had promised Exadius do not tell anyone about him and their pact. Not until he would be free and join him fighting the Scourge.

"Who is this person? I should thank them in this case."

"You will meet him soon, that's all I can say for now. He prefers to be anonymous until he gets rid of the agents of the Burning Legion who want him dead."

Sylvanas gave him a small nod. She was silent again but the silence didn't last as long as the last time. Speaking out the following sentences was not as hard as she had expected. "I missed you. I missed you since I got free from the Scourge. For a long time, I denied that to myself. I told myself that it's best that you wouldn't see me like this. But the more time passed, the stronger became my desire to see you again."

Kelrian's smile became wider, joy appeared in his eyes. "I missed you too, Sylvanas."

Sylvanas was unable to hide her surprise. "You did?"

Kelrian made a step closer to her, putting a hand beneath her chin, lifting it. He stared into her eyes and she returned his gaze. His heart was beating much faster, his skin was tingling nervously and excited at the same time. His body told him to give in but his mind told him to be patient. He didn't want to ruin anything by doing any rash moves. He was a patient person and he had no doubt that she was too.

"I did," he said, his gaze didn't leave hers. Her eyes widened again but her gaze still rested on him. She didn't say or do anything. She just stared at him, wondering what he will do next. She was wondering if he would kiss her. She was wondering if that would be too soon or if it was the only right thing he could do at the moment. She didn't want to rush things because she was afraid any wrong move would ruin everything.

She didn't do anything but he did. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her tightly against him. He closed his eyes, ignoring the scent of death. He muttered a few words, casting a spell on himself which allowed him to bear the stench. "I missed you so much," he whispered.

Sylvanas closed her eyes and pressed her head against his chest, inhaling his scent. She smelled fel. His scent was similar to Varimathras'. She assumed it had something to do with the fel that was running through his veins. The scent stung in her nose but it was still bearable.

Sylvanas felt his warm lips against her forehead. He kissed her forehead as he had often done in life. Whenever she had been upset or emotional, he had kissed her forehead to calm her down. For her, it felt as if the kiss had endured for hours but she was certain it had only endured a few moments. A minute or two at maximum.

Sylvanas felt much calmer once he stopped pressing his lips against her forehead. Calmer and happier. Nevertheless, she noticed small tears running down her cheeks. Happy tears which turned to dust before they reached her chin.

Kelrian said nothing about it. All he did was hugging her tightly. Feeling her cold body against his warm body didn't bother him at all. The cold in Northrend had not affected him at all due to the effect of the fel energy in his veins. Sylvanas' body temperature was nothing compared to the low temperatures in Northrend. The cold of her body was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It didn't bother him at all, so he hugged her as long as he wanted. Nevertheless, he pulled away after a while, his eyes fell on Sylvanas who looked conflicted.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding a bit worried.

Sylvanas nodded, her expression became neutral. "I am. It's just... I sense demonic energy coming from you. My mind tells me to stay away from you but I don't want to do that. I don't want to be away from you."

"You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm not your enemy."

"I know, my dear. I know."

Kelrian smiled at her and she returned the smile. They stared at each other, not knowing how much time had passed as they averted their gazes eventually. Sylvanas looked at her feet for a few moments before she looked at Kelrian again. "What happened to the right side of your face? Did you get injured or why do you hide the right half?"

Kelrian hesitated for a few moments, considering what he should say. "The right half of my face is not injured or covered by scars. My eye is not missing if that's what you are afraid of. It's just... I don't really want to show the right half to anyone."

Sylvanas raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to justify myself to everyone and tell everyone why I look like this."

Sylvanas gave him a small nod. "I understand." She paused for a short moment. "Would you show it to me? Only to me?" She gave him a comforting look.

Kelrian nodded without hesitation. Sylvanas expected him to pull his hair to the side and reveal the ride side of his face but he didn't do that. He just stood there and regarded her. Sylvanas waited for a few moments before she stepped to him and put her hands on his face, caressing his cheeks slowly and carefully. She looked directly into his handsome face as she moved her hand and brushed the strands of hair out of his face.

Her crimson eyes widened in surprise as she noticed the golden glowing eye that was staring at her. The pupil had a different form than the pupil of his green elven eye. It had the form of a slit. It was similar to the pupil of a cat. She noticed the golden symbols beneath his eye. Due to Varimathras, she was able to read some demonic symbols and runes but she was not able to translate all symbols beneath his eye. She was only able to translate bits and pieces which made no sense on their own.

"Is everything okay?" Kelrian asked as he noticed that Sylvanas had stopped moving her hands. The Banshee Queen was silent for a few moments but then nodded at him. "Everything is fine, my dear. I'm just curious, you know."

"I guess you want to know what happened to my eye?"

Sylvanas nodded.

"I met Sylvera in Northrend. She wore a mask as we fought and I was about to kill her as I destroyed the mask and saw her face. I couldn't kill her... Of course, I couldn't... She is our sweet little girl. No matter what Arthas did to her, she is still our Sylvera... She took advantage of my hesitation and rammed one of her daggers in my eye. My new ally gave me this replacement."

He noticed the pity in her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said in a low voice.

"You don't have to be sorry, Sylvanas. You did nothing wrong. The only person I blame is Arthas. He will pay for his crimes. He will pay for destroying Quel'Thalas, killing most of its inhabitants and destroying our family. I will make him pay for what he did to you. And even if I have to give my life to kill him...I wouldn't hesitate. As long as I can avenge you, it's worth it. I won't stop as long as he is still alive."

Sylvanas noticed the determination in his eyes and voice. He wanted Arthas' death more than anything else. Just like her. He would do anything necessary to achieve his goal. Just like her. They had a common goal.

"We will kill him and free our daughter from his control," Sylvanas said determinedly.

"No matter the costs."

"No matter the costs," repeated Sylvanas. She stared into his eyes and he returned her gaze. They did that for a while. Only when Kelrian yawned loudly, Sylvanas noticed how tired he looked. She turned her head, looking at the clock on the wall. It was four o'clock in the morning.

"You should get some sleep," Sylvanas said.

Kelrian nodded. "You are probably right."

"I am right," she said with a self-confident voice.

Kelrian chuckled. "You are. Always." He remembered that Sylvanas had always claimed that she was always right when she had been alive.

A small smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "Your answer is correct."

Kelrian smiled too. "I see you tomorrow then, right?"

Sylvanas nodded. "I hope so."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again," he said and stepped to her. He lowered his head and pressed his lips on her left cheek. He kissed her cheek softly and pulled away, giving her a charming smile. A small blush could be seen on her cheeks, her skin tingled in excitement and she felt a lot calmer and happier than before.

Her body screamed for more but she ignored it, not wanting to ruin everything by rushing things. She rather took the slow way than the risky way. She would do anything necessary to restore their relationship.

She didn't want to screw things up. Not with him. She still loved him, she was sure of that. She had no idea how he felt about her but she assumed she would find it out soon. She had the impression that she was still important to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hugged her and kissed her. She could only hope he felt the same for her.

She didn't want to leave him but she knew she had to. He was obviously tired and needed sleep. She wanted to ask him if she could stay the night but she knew it was too soon for that, so she didn't ask him. She had to wait and see how things will turn out between them. Then she might ask him if she could stay the night with him and watch him sleep.

"I will go then, my dear."

Kelrian caressed her other cheek and kissed it. "I see you tomorrow, Sylvanas."

"Good night, Kelrian."

Sylvanas' gaze rested on him for nearly five minutes before she walked towards the door, giving him one last look before she left the room and closed the door behind her.


	46. The Next Step

Sylvanas regarded the beautiful sun in the sky. In life, she had loved to regard it while feeling its warm embrace at the same time. She had loved to bathe in the sun and tan her skin. She had loved to go to the beach and take a sunbath or even swim in the ocean. She had loved to do all these things but she was no longer able to do them.

Since she had become undead, the sun hurt her if it shone on her for too long. The sun weakened her and gave her heavy headaches. She could only remain in the sun for a limited amount of time. With the help of spells, she could stay longer in the sun but still not for too long. She preferred dark places where no sunlight came in. Dark places like Undercity.

She missed Undercity and missed her people. She didn't like to let Varimathras alone in Undercity for too long. She knew she could trust him because he had proved his loyalty to her by killing his older brother. Nevertheless, she didn't like the idea of Varimathras ruling Undercity in her absence for too long. Sylvanas rarely left Undercity. She only left it for important meetings with the Alliance. Usually, she returned to Undercity at the end of each meeting but this time it was different.

This time she had decided to stay longer in Silvermoon. Not only because the other leaders of the Alliance decided to stay for a few more days to discuss more matters but also because a certain man had returned. She didn't want to leave him so soon now that she finally got him back. Their relationship was still not the same as it had once been but she had high hopes that they would become an item once again. Just like the good old times.

Both of them had changed in the past years. She was undead and he wasn't but he had changed too. Not only did he look different, but his character had also changed. In him, she recognized many characteristics of the man she had fallen in love was still brave, friendly, helpful and much had not changed for the worse. He was more self-confident and more determined to achieve his goals.

She had heard what fel magic could do to people. It could change them from good to bad or enhance their characteristics. It could also drive them insane as it had happened with Kael'thas Sunstrider. Fel magic was powerful and destructive but also very dangerous. Often, it damaged the mind of the user and changed them forever.

She was glad that it didn't affect Kelrian the same way it affected his father. He was not insane nor did he become a bad person. He was still the man she had fallen in love with. He was stronger and more self-confident than ever. He didn't seem like a man who would be too reserved. She had the impression he wouldn't shrink back from speaking out his opinion about anything as long as he wouldn't bring himself in a difficult situation.

Sylvanas was looking forward to finding out what was going on between them. Three days had passed since she had visited him and spoke privately to him. Three days in which she had spoken to him, but every time she had not been alone with him. The other leaders of the Alliance had been around them, so she had not been able to express her feelings to him. She had not been able to signalize him how important he was to her. She had not had any physical contact with him.

Their hands had accidentally touched when they had been standing next to each other but other than that, they hadn't had any physical contact. Her body desired physical contact. She had wanted to touch him and she had wanted him to kiss her again. Not only on the forehead or the cheeks but also on the mouth. But they had not been able to do that. All they had done had been exchanging looks and smiles. At least she knew he felt the same way as her. She had seen it in his eye that he had wanted to be near her and touch her.

Sylvanas was certain she still loved him but she had no idea if he still loved her. He had not said the L word yet nor had she. She was wondering when he would say it. If he would ever say it to her. She was wondering what he was thinking about her. She wanted to know what she was for him. She was certain that he felt something for her. He wouldn't have looked at her like that if he wouldn't feel anything for her. She could only hope that her assumption was true. She hoped that she was not just imagining that he had feelings for her.

Sylvanas was still lost in thoughts and regarded the sun and the beautiful weather outside as a person entered the room. The person didn't hesitate to walk over to her. Normally, she would have heard them as soon as the door would have been opened but because she was lost in thoughts, she didn't notice them approaching her.

Only when the person stepped to her and put their hands on her unprotected hips, she was brought out of her thoughts. Sylvanas startled as she felt warm hands on her cold skin. Someone was pressing their body against her back and leaning their head on her bare shoulder. She wore a lighter, traditional version of her usual outfit. She only wore it when she went to a meeting.

Her belly was mostly covered by armour, only the area between the navel and the waistband of her leggings was not covered. The scar left by Frostmourne was not visible. She wore no shoulder plates. The outfit also had a cape and a hood just like all of her outfits. The hood had already been pulled down by the person.

Sylvanas didn't need to turn her head to know who was standing right behind her. His scent was familiar. The sounds he made when breathing and exhaling were also familiar to her. It was no other than Kelrian who hugged her from behind, his hands caressed her hips softly. "Hello, my dear," he whispered into her ear.

Sylvanas pressed her body against his, tilting her head back. "I'm glad you are here."

Kelrian put a kiss behind her left ear. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear, making Sylvanas' skin tingle in excitement.

He kissed her ear again and she allowed it. Of course she allowed it. She had no reason to push him away. A voice in her head told her that it was too soon. Another voice in her head told her to not listen to that voice. It felt right to her to allow him to hug her and press his body against hers. She wanted nothing more than being as close as possible to him. She enjoyed the close body contact with him. She enjoyed his presence.

"The past three days had been pure torture. No torture is worse than this... Being around each other but not being able to touch each other because the others were watching us..."

Kelrian remembered the torture Garithos had put him through. The pain he had caused him was nothing compared to the pain he had felt in his heart when he had not been able to be close to her. Sylvanas was right. No torture was worse than this.

He wondered what had happened to Garithos. He had not heard of him since he went to Outland with his father. He doubted that the racist was still alive. Either the Scourge got him or someone else got rid of him. No matter what had happened to him, Kelrian was sure he deserved it. That racist deserved to die in the slowest and most painful way possible. After everything he had put him and his people through, Kelrian hoped that the grand marshal's death had been slow and violent.

"I agree," Kelrian said quietly and moved one of his hands, putting it on her belly.

Sylvanas smiled at him but said nothing in return. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his warm and gentle touch. He kissed her neck, then her jawline and at last her left cheek and her left ear. Sylvanas' lips were slightly parted, her skin tingled in excitement. It felt good to be touched again by the man she loved more than anyone else. She had missed his touch so badly. She had missed him so much.

She had believed for four years that he had died. She had believed that she would never see him again. She had believed that she would never be touched by him again. She had believed no one would ever touch her again. She had thought she would remain alone forever.

Fortunately for her, she had been wrong. Kelrian was still alive and he touched her even though she was undead and he was still alive. She couldn't express in words how happy she was that Kelrian was not gone forever. She had lost so much because of Arthas but at least she didn't lose him. She had feared he would regard her as a monster and stay away from her. She had feared he would reject her and fall in love with another woman.

She was more than just glad that this had not been the case. He was neither afraid of her nor did he want to stay away from her. He wanted to be close to her. As close as possible. He wanted to touch her and kiss her. He had missed her so badly. He knew she no longer was the same woman he had fallen in love with. He knew she had changed but he didn't mind that.

He had changed as well. He no longer was the same man he had been before the invasion. The tragic events of the past, the fel and the demon blood had changed him. They had made a different man of him. A stronger, more confident man who would do anything to kill Arthas and destroy the Scourge.

Sylvanas' lips parted a little, a low moan escaped her lips as Kelrian started to bite her neck, knowing that he will leave marks. Sylvanas' eyes remained closed as Kelrian put kisses on her neck. She knew that others might see them but she didn't care. The marks wouldn't be visible before the upcoming meeting will end. Even if they would be visible, she had ways to cover them. Magic was the easiest way.

Kelrian didn't stop to kiss her, letting his right hand wander. It reached the waistband of her leggings. His left hand pulled on the waistband so that his right hand could sneak beneath it. As Kelrian had expected, Sylvanas wore panties. He stroked over the soft silk, running the tips of his finger over her southern lips. He was rubbing her through her panties, causing a quiet moan to escape her lips. Sylvanas' eyes remained shut, her head was tilted back and rested on Kelrian's muscular chest.

Another quiet moan escaped her lips as Kelrian pressed his thumb on her clit. He stimulated her a little and then sneaked his hand beneath her panties, caressing her wet folds with his fingers. Her moans became louder and more frequent, signalizing Kelrian that she really enjoyed what he was doing.

Kelrian knew how to use his fingers to make her feel good. If she would have been alive, her breaths would have become louder and faster. But she no longer needed to breathe so the only way to find out if he was doing things right was to listen to her moans. The better he made her feel, the louder her moans became. Sylvanas' moans were louder than before but not loud enough for his liking. He was sure he wouldn't have the time to make her moan as loud as he wanted but he could try it at least.

He continued to rub her slit and press his thumb on her clit, kissing the other side of her neck. He parted her vaginal lips and inserted one of his fingers in her cunt, feeling her walls tightening around it. She was so tight that he could barely move his finger at the beginning but the longer his finger was inside her, the loosener her inner walls became.

He was able to insert a second finger, moving both fingers slowly. Sylvanas' moans became louder and more frequent the longer he did that. He even added a third finger after a while, noticing that Sylvanas rocked her hips against his hand. She was really enjoying what he was doing and she didn't want him to stop. She knew they didn't have much time, so she was hoping he would manage to make her come in the short amount of time they had.

His fingers were larger than she remembered. He was larger than the last time she had seen him, his fingers were longer and thicker. She was wondering how large his manhood had become. It had been pretty large before the fel made him stronger and taller, so she was wondering how much larger it was.

His entire body had grown in size so it only made sense that his manhood had grown too. Sylvanas was looking forward to finding it out first hand. She was looking forward to feeling it inside her but she knew they wouldn't have the time to do that at this moment because the meeting would start soon. She was sure they will have the chance to have sex sooner or later. She just had to be patient.

His fingers reached deep inside her but not deep enough to hit her g-spot. Nevertheless, Kelrian made her feel good and made her reach her climax faster than expected. She cried out his name as she came, her entire body trembled and her legs gave away but Kelrian held her tightly and prevented her from falling to the ground. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his fingers were still inside her as she rode out her orgasm.

Her body stopped trembling eventually but Sylvanas didn't move for a few minutes. She enjoyed the pleasant silence and their close body contact. She opened her eyes eventually and tilted her head, looking at Kelrian who was looking down at her, a smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas returned his smile and stared into his eyes for a while.

Sylvanas' cum stuck on his fingers as he pulled them out. He brought them to Sylvanas' lips who parted them and allowed him to put his fingers in her mouth. It was weird for her to taste herself but she cleaned them nevertheless. She pulled away from Kelrian once she was done. She turned around and faced him, staring into his eyes. Kelrian returned her gaze and walked towards her. She took a step back for each step he made until her back hit a wall.

He stopped in front of her andput his hands near her head. He looked down at her, a happy smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas returned the smile. Nothing but love could be seen in their eyes as they stared at each other. They still loved each other but they hadn't admitted that to the other yet.

Kelrian put his gloved hand beneath her chin, lifted it a little before he leaned in. He was about to kiss her as they heard loud knocks at the door. He noticed the annoyed look on Sylvanas' face. She rolled her eyes and turned her head, looking at the door.

"Lady Sylvanas? Are you there?" Verena asked.

"What is it?" Sylvanas shouted. Anger was clearly hearable in her voice.

"The meeting will begin soon."

Sylvanas sighed. "Tell them that I will come soon."

"As you wish, milady."

Sylvanas waited for a few moments and then looked at Kelrian who was still pinning her against the wall. "We should go," he said quietly.

"There is something I want to do before we go."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

Sylvanas didn't respond to him. Instead, she stepped on her tiptoes and sealed her lips on his, closing her eyes. Kelrian returned the kiss without hesitation, putting a hand on the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Her cold lips on his lips felt weird at first but he got used to them quickly.

He felt Sylvanas biting his bottom lip. She begged him for entrance and he didn't hesitate to part his lips, allowing her tongue to enter his mouth. Her cold tongue felt strange in his mouth. Strange but good. He inserted his own tongue in her cold mouth, exploring it slowly.

The longer the kiss endured, the more he got used to everything and the more he enjoyed it. They held the kiss as long as Kelrian could hold his breath, which was much longer than Sylvanas had expected. They pulled away eventually, staring at each other. Kelrian took deep breaths, waiting until he had inhaled enough air. "That was a pretty awesome kiss."

Sylvanas gave him an agreeing nod. "The first we shared since the tragic events of the past. The first kiss I've had in five years."

"We should do that more often."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Yes, we should."

They stared at each other until Sylvanas cleared her throat. "We should go. The others are waiting for us."

Kelrian conjured a bucket of water and washed his right hand, then he covered the right half of his face with his hair. "I'm ready," he said once he was done. Sylvanas walked to the door and opened it, allowing Kelrian to leave the guest room. She left the room too and closed the door behind her.

They followed the course of the corridor, coming to the conference room. Alleria, Vereesa, Rhonin, Verena and Lady Liadrin were already in the room and stood around a table on which several maps and drawings were spread. Kelrian and Sylvanas greeted them and were greeted in return. Kelrian and Sylvanas looked at the table, noticing that there was a detailed drawing of Deatholme. "Where did you get this?" asked Sylvanas and pointed at the drawing.

"The person Kelrian smuggled into the base sent us this and a document that lists the exact number of Scourge minions in Deatholme. Dar'Khan Drathir confirmed these numbers too."

"You managed to make him speak?" Sylvanas asked surprised.

Lady Liadrin nodded. "He couldn't bear the holy light any longer so he finally began to speak after days."

"What did you do with him after you got all the information we needed?"

"We let him live in case he has more information he wants to tell us," explained the matriarch of the blood knights."

"I hope you will kill him as soon as he told you everything he knows," said Kelrian.

Lady Liadrin gave her cousin a nod. "Of course we will. He might help us but we have still not forgotten what he did. He was the one who handed Arthas the keys to deactivate the barrier that protected our lands. He is responsible for the deaths of nine hundred thousand high elves. He will die. We may have promised him a quick death if he helps us but... I'm not sure yet if we should do him this favour. He deserves to suffer."

"I agree on that," said Sylvanas. "He deserves to suffer for his crimes. Make his death as painful as possible."

"I will consider that."

"In the end, it's my decision what happens to the prisoner," said Alleria. "But I get your point, sister. Torturing someone and making someone's death slow and painful is a no go but I think we can make an exception in Dar'Khan's case. He deserves to suffer for all the lives he has destroyed with his betrayal."

Sylvanas gave her older sister an appreciating nod, then she looked at the drawing of Deatholme. "Do you have a plan already?"

"Not yet but we are on it," responded Vereesa.

Kelrian took a closer look at the drawing. "It seems that the only way to enter the fortress is the main gate. It's very likely that the gate is heavily guarded by undead creatures. It won't be easy to enter the base that way. Fortunately, we have someone inside the base who could station some of these creatures elsewhere. Zenon can also make a portal inside the main building to a certain location. We could step through that portal and invade the base while our main army comes through the main entrance."

"I like your idea," said Rhonin. "We just have to take care of the flying creatures."

"Maybe Zenon could send some of them away. We just have to make sure that the orders Zenon will give are not too suspicious We can't risk blowing up his cover. Dar'Khan might be in charge of the base but I doubt he is allowed to send most of his troops away. It would be so much easier to take Deatholme if he could do that," said Kelrian.

Rhonin sighed. "That would be too easy. Too easy to be true."

"It would be great if Zenon could send some gargoyles and flying nerubians away. That way, the mages and archers have better chances against those flying creatures who remain. We are lucky that no frostwyrms are stationed there," replied Verena.

"Zenon could send out a few dozen gargoyles to scout some areas a few hours before we attack Deatholme. He could tell Dar'Khan's superior that this is necessary to plan the attack on Quel'Thalas. That way, Zenon might keep his cover and Dar'Khan's superior wouldn't wreck our plans by ordering the flying creatures to stay or do something else. These creatures are the biggest threat to our spellcasters and rangers. With dozens of them gone, our ranged men will have more freedom," told Kelrian.

"That's a good idea," praised Sylvanas.

"I agree," said Alleria.

"Now we have to discuss who will lead the attack on the main gate and who will teleport inside the main building," Rhonin said.

Kelrian's gaze fell on him. "I will go inside the base. Danara, Xertus and Xatorious will go with me."

"I will go with him too," announced Sylvanas.

Alleria gave her sister a small smile. "I expected that. I wish I could lead the attack on the main gate but I have to help the humans planning attacks on a few Scourge bases in the Eastern Plaguelands."

Sylvanas looked at her older sister. "Who will lead the attack then?" Her gaze fell on Lady Liadrin and Vereesa. "One of you?"

"We will lead it together," they said in unison. Rhonin put his arm around his wife. "I will come with them."

"When will we attack?" asked Kelrian.

"As soon as we receive the confirmation from Zenon that he can send away dozens of gargoyles and nerubian flyers," replied Alleria.

"So we meet again in a few days?" Kelrian asked.

"We will. It's best if you write the letter."

Kelrian nodded. "I will make it look like a message written by a member of the Scourge. A Forsaken should dress as a Scourge minion and deliver the message."

Sylvanas gave him a nod. "I will find someone who will go to the Scourge base and hand the message to Zenon."

"Is there anything else we have to discuss?" Kelrian asked.

Alleria looked at Rhonin who shook his head, then she looked at Kelrian. "I don't think so."

"Can we go then?" he asked.

Alleria nodded.

A smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Have a nice day," he said and turned to the door.

"You too," the others said. Kelrian looked at Sylvanas who gave him a small smile and pointed at the door. Kelrian walked over to it, opened it and allowed her to leave the conference room, then he followed her and closed the door behind him.


	47. Deatholme

Kelrian and Sylvanas checked their surroundings as soon as they came out of the portal. They were in a large room which floor and walls were grey. Two dozen undead creatures were scattered over the room but they didn't intend to attack them. They looked like minions of the Scourge but in truth, they were on their side. They had been raised by the demons who had accompanied Kelrian when they had sneaked in Deatholme to kidnap Dar'Khan Drathir.

The mindless undead regarded them with empty gazes as if Sylvanas' and Kelrian's presence was the most normal thing in the world. Kelrian turned his head and looked at Zenon who was still disguised as Dar'Khan. Zenon walked to him and lowered his head in respect. "It's a pleasure to see you, Lord Sunstrider."

"Lord Sunstrider?" Sylvanas asked curiously, one of her brows was raised.

"I took my father's last name when I was in the other dimension. I couldn't know that he went crazy while I was away. Despite my father's actions, I consider myself as a Sunstrider."

"I see. You are the rightful heir of the throne and despite your father's actions, you want to continue the Sunstrider dynasty which exists for almost seven thousand years. I understand that."

Kelrian nodded.

"Alright. We have important things to do so we shouldn't waste our time talking," replied Sylvanas.

"I agree with that." Kelrian let his gaze wander, realizing that more and more Forsaken and blood elves coming through the five portals in the room. His gaze fell on Danara, Xatorious and Xertus who were still disguised as blood elves. They noticed that their master looked at them, so they gave him nods which signalized them that they knew what to do. They created another portal through which more creatures were coming. But these creatures were neither sin'dorei nor Forsaken. They were demons.

Sylvanas was surprised by their arrival but she didn't say anything. She was glad about every capable fighter who joined the battle. The more demons would arrive, the more sin'dorei and Forsaken might survive this battle. Sylvanas had already gotten used fighting by the side of demons since Varimathras pledged his loyalty to her. He had summoned demons in every fight, but not as many as Danara and the others.

There were already nearly a hundred demons in the room and even more were coming. Two hundred demons had gotten through the portal before it had been closed. There were wrathguards, imps, felhounds, eredar and other demons. There were no huge demons like infernals or doomguards but even the smaller ones were very deadly. A single imp might not be very deadly, but in larger groups imps posed a serious threat. There were at least fifty imps that were running around in circles. They were excited about the approaching battle. They wanted to kill something with fire.

Once again, Kelrian let his gaze wander after the last portal had been closed. Two hundred Forsaken, two hundred demons and three hundred blood elves had come through the portals. All seven hundred creatures fit in the huge room. It was the main hall of the main building in Deatholme. Kelrian noticed that some sin'dorei and Forsaken were concerned about the presence of the demons but they didn't say anything about it. They were concerned but also glad that they would assist them against the Scourge.

Kelrian looked at Sylvanas, noticing the determined look in her eyes. Sylvanas returned his gaze, giving him a small smile. Kelrian returned her smile and waited for a few moments before he reminded the gathered warriors to watch out for Scourge necromancers, spellcasters and flying beasts. He reminded them to kill the necromancers first and burn the corpses of fallen allies and foes. He wished them good luck and then told them to leave the building and attack every foe they would see.

The first creatures stormed out of the room, Kelrian and Sylvanas followed them quickly. Kelrian drew his sword out of its sheath. Despite its size, he had no problems to swing it with one hand. It was long and thick, golden glowing symbols were engraved in its fel green blade. It looked similar to Exadius' sword but it was not as impressive as it.

"A runeblade," Sylvanas said surprised as she saw the magnificent sword for the first time.

Kelrian nodded at her. "My partner gave it to me. He promised me that it would withstand Frostmourne's blows and wouldn't shatter after the first hit."

"I hope it does," replied Sylvanas.

"So do I."

They left the building, noticing that the first demons, sin'dorei and Forsaken were already fighting against Scourge minions. Those minions of the Scourge who were intelligent and were able to show emotions had surprised looks on their faces. None of them had expected any intruders to pour out of the main building.

Dozens of Scourge minions were rushing towards them but most of them died before they reached them. Kelrian and the four nathrezim had casts multiple spells to kill these undead creatures. Felfire was very effective against the undead. Any form of fire was very effective. Even frostfire. Freezing the undead creature's feet to the ground and burning them was a very efficient method.

Sylvanas shot arrow after arrow, using her swords or dark magic if creatures would come too close to her or Kelrian. Kelrian and other mages refilled her quiver with arrows whenever it was empty. Kelrian cast spells with his right hand while he swung his sword and killed every creature that dared to approach him. He chopped off their heads or cut them in halves, squashing their heads with his feet.

They noticed that the battle in front of the main gate had already started. As planned, Rhonin, Vereesa and Liadrin were leading the attack on the main gate while Kelrian, Sylvanas and their soldiers would fight the Scourge in the middle of the base.

The Scourge was superior in number but those who accompanied Kelrian and Sylvanas were far stronger than the average Scourge minion. The Scourge army did not only consist of these average mindless minions like skeletons and ghouls. There were lots of liches, necromancers, gargoyles and abominations which were very dangerous. Everyone was aware that the battle wouldn't be easy.

Liches and necromancers froze their foes, ignited them or tried to blow them apart with arcane techniques. They even used dark magic. The demons were very useful against the Scourge. The Scourge minions didn't need to do much to kill these small imps but the wrathguards and felhounds were more resistant.

The wrathguards were pretty tough while the felhounds drain the magic out of bodies of undead creatures that came too close to them. They were very effective against undead spellcasters, so the Scourge minions focused them first. The intelligent members of the Scourge ordered their minions to kill these red spined creatures but there were too many of them. They significantly weakened the liches, necromancers and members of the Cult of the Damned.

Kelrian's and Sylvanas' army killed many Scourge creatures but more and more were coming. There were thousands of them in Deatholme and the battle was far from over. Gargoyles came from the sky and picked up felhounds, carrying them away. Spellcasters and archers gave their best to kill these winged creatures as fast as possible. Many fell but not all of them were taken out. There were still enough flying nerubians and gargoyles who were terrorizing the invaders from above.

Sylvanas drew an arrow from her quiver, knocked it and aimed. She shot the arrow which flew through the air and hit a gargoyle right between the eyes. The beast flew for a few more seconds, then fell and crashed on the ground, killing two ghouls in the process. Sylvanas drew another arrow, killing a ghoul that had come too close to Kelrian. She turned around and beheaded another ghoul with the sharp limbs of her bow.

Her gaze fell on Kelrian who chopped off the forelegs of a nerubian with his runeblade and then cut it in half with a precise swing. His close combat skills impressed her. The Kelrian she remembered had been a talented fighter but had always remained in the background and shot arrows from afar.

This Kelrian was different. He was in the middle of the raging battle and swung his runeblade to kill lots of Scourge creatures while he cast spells at the same time. He didn't shrink back from attacking larger minions like nerubians or even abominations. From all soldiers, he had killed the most undead foes so far. There was no one who had killed more than him. At least no one she had seen.

Kelrian mainly used fel magic and fire techniques to deal with his foes. He even used shockwaves to knock their opponents away or counterspells to prevent big spells cast by liches or cultists. His runeblade cut through armour, skin and bones of any undead creature. Not even the carapaces of the crypt lords were hard enough to withstand his runeblade. He needed a few more blows to get through them but he always succeeded in the end.

He killed those who dared to approach him. Not even stronger creatures like liches could stand up to him. He avoided their spells or countered them and even when he got hit, his armour and the magical barriers he cast on himself protected him.

Not even the sharp claws of nerubians broke through his armour. They damaged it but it remained intact. His armour was made out of the firmest material Exadius had found. No ordinary weapon managed to break it. Even stronger spells only slightly damaged it. There were small cracks in the armour but it was far from breaking. It would hold out for a while, Kelrian was sure of that.

The battle went on, more Scourge minions but also allies died. Kelrian and Sylvanas fought side by side, protecting each other when necessary. They fought like in the good old times, always checking if the other was okay. Sylvanas only went in close combat when it was necessary. She preferred to stay away from the frontline and shoot arrows or cast dark magic spells from afar. She was very effective at killing Scourge minions. So was Kelrian.

They killed and burned hundreds of Scourge minions but more and more approached them. The battle was far from over. Sylvanas had more stamina than she had in life. She could hold out much longer than other creatures but even she noticed the first signs of exhaustion after hours. Nevertheless, she didn't stop fighting. She couldn't allow herself to pause. She fought fiercely and gave everything she had. Kelrian, on the other hand, didn't get exhausted at all.

His runeblade provided him with power, so did the felstones he absorbed from time to time. He didn't need to consume as many as he had consumed during the Siege of the Black Temple but he still couldn't go without them.

The runeblade was not enough to sustain him. He needed the power stored in these crystals and he had enough of them. He had consumed three crystals so far but there were more in the pouches that hung on his belt. He could fight for days and even for weeks but he doubted the battle would endure so long. He guessed it won't endure longer than three days if the Scourge wouldn't get reinforcements.

Fortunately, they didn't. The creatures in Deatholme were on their own and more and more of them were getting killed the longer the battle endured. But the battle was far from over because there were still too many Scourge minions in the base.

A lich managed to freeze Sylvanas' feet to the ground and had tried to impale her with an ice-lance but her lover shattered the ice-lance with his sword at the last moment. He beheaded the skeletal mage and destroyed its phylactery which he found due to his golden eye. The eye had looked after anything that contained the lich's essence and found the small box buried beneath the ground.

Kelrian hadn't used his right eye in the first hours but now that things had gotten more serious, he was using it. He knew it would drain portions of his power over time but he had enough crystals to sustain him, so he was not worried at all. His golden eye did not only give him a better vision, but it also realized the happening faster than his other eye. His golden eye noticed any movement of anyone much earlier than his left eye. He could see the auras of everyone, even of invisible creatures or of those creatures who were not in his sight because they were behind a wall or something that blocked his vision. His eye was multi-functional and gave him a big advantage.

Kelrian freed Sylvanas from the ice, beheading a nerubian warrior before its claws would have reached her. "Be careful, my dear," Kelrian said and stepped in front of her, warding off a blow from an undead human. The human's sword shattered as it came in contact with Kelrian's armour. He grabbed the human by the throat and flung them in the air, cutting them in half before they landed. He set the undead's remains on fire and then turned to Sylvanas who gave him a thankful nod.

She drew her bow and fired arrows at the nearest foe, killing them. She had not counted how many foes she had killed so far but she knew that many had fallen by her hand. Nevertheless, there were enough Scourge creatures around them. She killed a nerubian with a precise shot, turned around and kicked a skeleton away, shooting an explosive arrow at it. The arrow stuck in its head and exploded a second later, tearing the skeleton apart.

She turned back to Kelrian, noticing that he had rushed forward and was swinging his runeblade, beheading three ghouls at the same time. Her red eyes widened as she noticed that three abominations were running towards him. They were coming from different sides.

Sylvanas shouted his name and warned him but Kelrian remained calm. She had expected him to run away and put enough distance between him and the abominations but he didn't do that. Instead, he did something Sylvanas would have never expected.

He rammed his sword in the ground and removed his left gauntlet. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw his hand. She had not expected his hand to look like a demon's claw. It was much thicker than his other hand. She was wondering why she had never noticed the difference.

Even though he had worn a glove, his hand must have appeared thicker to her but it hadn't. She could only assume that Kelrian had hidden it with the help of an illusion. She had no idea why he had done that. She could only assume he had not wanted anyone to find that importantly the Scourge. It was not unlikely that he had done that to have the moment of surprise on his side.

Kelrian lifted his demonic hand which fingers were stretched out. The symbols on his hand and beneath his eye were glowing much brighter than they usually did. The abominations came closer but Kelrian remained calm.

Sylvanas drew an arrow from her quiver and shot but it didn't bother the abomination even though she had hit its head. There was nothing she could do for him. She was asking herself what Kelrian was doing. It seemed that he had a plan but she had no idea how this plan looked like. She was worried about him but she trusted him at the same time. She knew he had something up his sleeve.

Kelrian's eyes rested on the abominations that weren't far away from him. His heartbeat was slow and steady, his breaths were controlled and his skin was not tingling. He was not nervous. He was confident because he was aware of his power and his limits. He was draining power from his body and from the runeblade since he had rammed it into the ground. His spell was almost done. He just needed a few more seconds.

The first abomination reached him, its cleaver came closer and closer but the barrier around his body protected him. Kelrian clenched his demonic fist, causing the barrier to explode and kill everything around him within a certain radius.

Sylvanas couldn't believe her eyes. She had seen what had just happened but she still couldn't believe it. The abominations were gone. Nothing was left of them. The barrier Kelrian had created had blown them apart. It had erased them. Nothing was left of them, not even blood, innards or body parts. They had been erased from existence.

A triumphing grin appeared on Kelrian's lips as he noticed that his spell had worked. He checked his surroundings, noticing the stunned expression on the faces of allies and foes. He looked at the intelligent Scourge minions near him which backed off and increased the distances between them and him. They were afraid of him. Afraid of his power.

Kelrian's gaze fell on his hand. He noticed that one of the golden symbols had stopped glowing. It had become black and looked like a tattoo that had been applied to his skin. Kelrian drew his runeblade out of the ground, noticing that one of the six engraved runic symbols had stopped glowing too. Kelrian turned his head, looking at Sylvanas who was more than just impressed by his power.

Nerubians, cultists and liches avoided getting too close to him, only the brainless minions did the mistake to approach him. Kelrian whirled his runeblade around, killing five of them with one strike. Seven skeletons fell with his next swing, even a crypt lord found a quick death by Kelrian's sword.

The prince of the sin'dorei hacked his way through the masses of undead creature, casting spell after spell while he swung his sword. More and more undead died by his hands and the hands of his soldiers. Sylvanas killed lots of undead but not as many as him. Kelrian had killed by far the most undead creatures. He seemed to be unstoppable.

He knew he was strong and fast. He knew his magic was very deadly but he didn't do any risky moves. He remained careful and checked his surroundings often enough. He didn't charge into the enemy and let them come instead, bombarding them with fire and arcane techniques.

Sylvanas covered his back by killing those who approached him from behind. She killed those creatures which he didn't notice. She spent more and more arrows, not running out of arrows due to the mages who refilled her quiver whenever it was almost empty. She wouldn't know what she would have done without mages. She would have switched to close combat or use more dark magic spells to kill the undead. Fortunately for her, she had unlimited arrows as long as a mage was in her near.

She fought fiercely, shooting arrows at every creature that came in her near. Liches and abominations were the only creatures which were a lot tougher to kill but with the help of dark magic, she even killed these creatures. She stayed near Kelrian during the battle, not wanting to lose sight of him. She knew he could take care of himself. She knew he was the strongest warrior who participated in the battle. Nevertheless, she looked at him from time to time to make sure he was alright. She didn't want to lose him. She had just gotten him back not so long ago.

More and more servants of the Scourge fell but many Forsaken, blood elves and demons lost their lives. Sylvanas and Kelrian were losing more and more soldiers over time and more and more Scourge minions were approaching them. They knew they would have a problem if they would lose more soldiers. Fortunately for them, the main army broke through the Scourge army at the main entrance and entered the base. The sin'dorei swarmed out, most of them joined Sylvanas' and Kelrian's army.

With the help of the reinforcements, Kelrian and Sylvanas managed to push the Scourge forces back and reach the southern area of the base. Hundreds of Scourge minions were awaiting them. The leader of the remaining Scourge forces was a death knight.

It was a male orc whose skin was white as chalk. He had ice-blue glowing eyes, wore a massive grey armour and carried a two-handed axe in his hands. He was taller than Sylvanas and most Forsaken. He was taller than most blood elves but not as tall as Kelrian who was half a head taller than him.

Kelrian stood not far away from Sylvanas and regarded the death knight curiously. He had no doubt that the orc was powerful. "You must be Deathlord Omanar," Kelrian said calmly.

A mocking grin appeared on the orc's face. "That's right. And you are the Banshee Queen's lapdog."

Kelrian didn't respond to his taunt. "Give up, Omanar. You can't win this fight. Most of your forces have been killed and burned."

The orc's expression didn't change. "This battle is not over yet. I have enough minions left to kill you and your disgusting allies."

A small grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. "It's pretty over. Your forces won't last long against us. Give up and I make sure your death will be swift."

Omanar's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth. "You won't win this battle. Nobody can stand against me."

Kelrian titled his head and raised a brow. "Nobody?" he asked doubtingly. "Are you sure about that?"

The orc's eyes narrowed further, anger was reflected by his face. "Are you mocking me?"

Kelrian gave him a provocative smile. "Am I? I don't know, to be honest."

"Stop making fun of me," the orc hissed and made a step forward.

"Or what?"

The orc realized that Kelrian was not taking him seriously. He was not afraid of him nor was he considering him as a real threat. That made the orc pretty angry. A loud roar escaped Omanar's lips as he sprinted towards Kelrian who remained calm and regarded the orc as he came closer. The death knight lifted his battle-axe above his head and took a swing, intending to cut the cocky blood elf in halves.

Kelrian saw the attack coming due to his golden eye. He had enough time to raise his runeblade and block the orc's attack. The weapons clashed, resulting in the shattering of the double-bladed axe. Omanar's eyes were widened in shock as he staggered backwards. His eyes rested on the handle he was still holding and then fell on the blood elf who was regarding him with a raised eyebrow. "Last chance to surrender, Omanar."

The death knight dropped the hilt and clenched his fists, charging at his opponent. Kelrian jumped forward and executed a swift swing no one had seen coming. Not even Omanar. The orc stopped as he realized that Kelrian was no longer in front of him. He was behind him and regarding him with an impassive look on his face.

The orc looked down at himself, noticing the deep cut in his chest out of which a large amount of blood flowed out. Kelrian's sword had cut through his armour and his flesh with ease. The orc turned around, a mix of shock and disbelief could be seen in his eyes as he looked at his opponent.

Kelrian's expression hadn't changed at all. He still looked at the orc indifferently. The orc made a few steps forward, starting to walk towards Kelrian but he didn't get very far. He collapsed a few moments later and landed on the ground. His eyes stopped glowing and his body became limp.

Kelrian averted his gaze as soon as he realized that the death knight was dead. He looked at Sylvanas, noticing that her eyes reflected heavy surprise. She couldn't believe that he had managed to take down a powerful death knight like Omanar with just one swing. Omanar had terrorized the sin'dorei and Forsaken for over a year. He had slain many soldiers of the Alliance in this battle, and in smaller skirmishes in the past year. No member of the Alliance had ever managed to injure him. He had been undefeated until this day. Kelrian had ended Omanar's killing spree with one swift sword strike. He had ended his life with one attack.

Kelrian looked at his brethren, at the Forsaken and demons. "We are not done yet." He shouted. "Let's kill these disgusting creatures and claim Deatholme as ours."

Loud shouts, cheers and war cries escaped the lips of the soldiers of the Alliance. The soldiers didn't hesitate to follow him into battle. More soldiers died in the following hours but the Alliance was victorious in the end. They had killed all remaining Scourge minions in Deatholme. The ground was covered with blood, armour pieces, weapons, separated body parts, mutilated corpses, burned bodies but also bodies that were not crippled and still recognizable.

Hundreds of forsaken, blood elves and demons died but their deaths were not in vain. Deatholme was theirs and thousands of Scourge minions had been killed during the battle. With Deatholme under their control, only a few villages were left which were still possessed by the Scourge. Windrunner Spire and Windrunner Village belonged to them.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, noticing that most soldiers were cheering. Lots of soldiers were mourning their deceased comrades. Their deaths had been necessary to conquer the Scourge base and significantly reduce the Scourge's influence in Quel'Thalas. He was sure that their names will not be forgotten.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Vereesa, Rhonin, Lady Liadrin and Arator who were walking over to him. He noticed that Sylvanas was doing the same and reached him before they did. Kelrian put his sword back in the sheath and closed his golden eye, covering the right half of his face with his hair. Before he could have put on his glove, Sylvanas had approached him and took the glove. She had spread the opening wide enough so that he could fit his demonic hand in without a problem.

Kelrian gave her a thankful nod and smiled at her, noticing that she was doing the same. They stared into each other's eyes until Vereesa and the others reached them and cleared their throats. Kelrian turned his head and looked at them.

"Your fighting skills really impressed me, Kelrian," said his cousin.

Kelrian smiled at her. "Thanks, Liadrin. You fought well too. You are a very strong paladin. I would have never imagined that you would be so skilled in close combat. Who trained you?"

"As you know, I have been trained in close combat when I was just a priestess. I wanted to do more than healing the wounded so I sought out a paladin of the Silverhand and asked her to train me," Liadrin explained.

"You have become an excellent fighter."

Liadrin smiled. "So did you. You killed that death knight with just one swing. I doubt anyone else would have been able to do that. At least not with a normal weapon."

"The aura radiated by your sword is stronger than the aura of any other runeblade I have ever seen. I think it's much stronger than Anduin Lothar's Great Royal Sword and Felo'melon," said Vereesa.

"It is strong indeed. But there is one runeblade which is even stronger than mine," Kelrian responded and looked at Sylvanas.

"Frostmourne," his lover said quietly.

Kelrian nodded. Sylvanas was silent for a few moments. "This runeblade is something special. It's fel green but the runes engraved in it are golden. It seems to me that fel magic and holy light are combined in this blade," she thought loudly.

"I have no idea why the runes glow golden but I doubt it has something to do with the holy light. Only fel energy is stored in the sword, I think the golden glowing is just for looks. My partner prefers gold as a colour. Many parts of his armour are coloured in gold," Kelrian responded.

"Who is your partner?" Rhonin asked.

"I wish I could tell you that now but you have to wait a bit longer. You will meet him soon. As soon as he got rid of Kil'jaeden's agents."

Rhonin sighed. "I think I can live with that. I wonder who your mysterious ally is."

"He is a demon who was once forced to serve the Burning Legion. He got free from their control just like Sylvanas who got free from Arthas' control. He wants to destroy the Scourge and the Burning Legion as badly as we do. That's all I can say for now."

Sylvanas put a hand on his right upper arm. "I trust you, Kelrian. I trust you with my life."

Kelrian put a hand on her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I'm glad you do."

He stared into her eyes for nearly two minutes, then he turned his head and looked at Vereesa and her husband. Small smiles could be seen on their lips. Vereesa was happy that Kelrian and Sylvanas seemed to be pretty close again. She was Sylvanas' sister, so she wanted nothing more than her happiness. After everything her sister went through, she deserved to be happy.

Vereesa had gotten very close with Sylvanas over the past years, just like Alleria. Sylvanas didn't tell her everything as she had done in life but she told her enough. Vereesa knew that their reunion had gone well. Even though Sylvanas had never told her, she knew that she still loved Kelrian. At this very moment in which Sylvanas looked at him, Vereesa could see it in her eyes. She loved him with all her heart. Only those who knew her pretty well could see that. Others wouldn't recognize it. Vereesa was one hundred percent sure that Sylvanas still loved Kelrian but she didn't know what he felt for her. She assumed he had similar feelings for her sister. She hoped that at least.

Kelrian removed his hand from her cheek and turned back to his sister-in-law and her husband. Sylvanas didn't show that she really missed his touch. She didn't show anyone how much his presence affected her. Her expression was neutral even though she felt very happy at the moment. They had been victorious and her sister, her brother-in-law, her nephew, Liadrin and the love of her life had survived the battle unharmed. All persons who were important to her had survived.

The best was that Kelrian had touched her in a similar way he had done before the Third War. He had caressed her cheek carefully even though people around them had looked at them. It seemed that he had no problem showing others what he felt for her. She had every reason to feel happy at the moment. Sylvanas smiled at him but did nothing else. She didn't kiss or hug him. All she did was to touch his forearm but that was enough for her for the moment.

"What will we do with the base?" Arator asked eventually.

Kelrian turned his head to look at the curious half-elf. "For now, we should station our soldiers there. We could repair Deatholme and make a functioning base out of it. But we have to discuss that with your aunt. She is the one who decides what will happen to Deatholme."

"So...What will we do now?" Arator asked.

"We should return to Silvermoon," replied Sylvanas.

Vereesa gave her sister an agreeing nod. "Alleria will be delightful when we tell her the good news."

Sylvanas smiled at her baby sister. "I'm sure she will."


	48. Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Explicit sexual content

Kelrian let his gaze wander, examining the beautiful pieces of furniture made out of the best wood in the Eastern Kingdoms. The floor was covered by a beautiful blue carpet, blue curtains hung in front of the closed windows. Masterpieces of art hang on the walls. They showed old Silvermoon City from afar, the Sunwell, Windrunner Spire and Windrunner Village from afar and many other beautiful places. The walls were yellow and decorated with golden and blue wall paintings.

Sylvanas' office had not changed over the years. Even when the Scourge had invaded Silvermoon City and devastated Sunstrider Spire and the headquarters of the Farstrider, Sylvanas' room had remained untouched. Kelrian had no idea why the Scourge didn't go into her room.

He had heard that most of the other rooms had been searched but Sylvanas' room had been spared. Kelrian had no idea if magic was responsible for that or if the Scourge simply hadn't found the room. Kelrian could not explain how her office had been left untouched but he was glad about it. Otherwise, he would not be able to regard its beauty.

He walked over to the desk, sitting down on the edge. He grabbed the nearest picture and took a look at it. It was a picture of him and a heavily pregnant Sylvanas. They were lying next to each other on the bed, her round belly was exposed. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder and he pressed a kiss on the corners of her lips. Sylvanas was just smiling and staring at the ceiling.

A small but sad smile could be seen on Kelrian's lips as he ran his fingers over the picture. He missed the good old times when they had been at peace and had nothing to worry about. He missed the living Sylvanas who had been full of joy and optimism. He missed touching her warm skin and toying with strands of her golden-blonde hair. He missed her so much but she was not gone, he was aware of that.

Sylvanas might have changed drastically and became a different person but from time to time he could still recognize the Sylvanas he had fallen in love with. She only showed her true self when she was alone with him or her sisters. She behaved differently when she was around others who were not as close to her as Kelrian or her sisters.

Kelrian put the picture aside eventually, walking to one of the doors on the right side of the room. He took the left door, entering Sylvanas' bedroom which looked exactly the same as it had done six years ago. The carpet was the same, the pieces of furniture still stood on the same spots and just like the king-sized bed which blankets and pillows were blue.

Kelrian stopped in the door, his gaze fell on the woman who was sitting on the bed and stared out of the window into the night. Her gaze rested on the full moon. Kelrian walked over to her and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The woman put her head on his shoulder, relaxing as she felt his warm body against hers. Her crimson red eyes still rested on the moon.

"I have to return to Undercitysoon," Sylvanas said after a while and averted her gaze, looking at Kelrian.

Kelrian stared into her eyes. "I will go with you," he said determinedly.

A barely recognizable sad smile appeared on her lips. "You can't."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and tilted his head a little. "What do you mean?"

"Undercity is no place for the living. You wouldn't feel comfortable there."

Kelrian snorted amused. "Wouldn't feel comfortable... I have endured a lot in the past so I'm sure I can bear a city full of undead creatures."

"Undercity smells after death and decay," Sylvanas responded.

"I know a few spells to bear the stench."

"No sunlight comes in Undercity. It is a dark and sad place. Just as sad the fate of my people. I doubt you will hold out longer than a week." The look in her eyes told him that she was dead serious about this.

Kelrian was unimpressed by her words. "If that's all you have in your sleeve to scare me, then I have to disappoint you. I'm not scared of living in Undercity no matter how dark it is there or how badly it smells. I won't leave your side, no matter what happens."

Sylvanas put a hand on his cheek, giving him a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that but I fear destiny will separate us again. I have to rule Undercity and your talent is needed in Quel'Thalas. The Scourge is still active in Quel'Thalas even after we conquered Deatholme. A few villages still belong to them and Scourge minions are still roaming through the ruins of Silvermoon. Just like the wretched. They are a serious threat, especially to unarmed traders."

"So you want me to help the sin'dorei?" he asked curiously.

Sylvanas nodded. "It is your duty as their king."

Kelrian snorted slightly annoyed. "King... I'm not their king."

"You are the son of Kael'thas Sunstrider. Since the sin'dorei have deposed him as their king, you are the rightful heir of the throne," Sylvanas said and put her other hand on his other cheek.

Kelrian shook his head. "I'm not fit to rule the sin'dorei."

"You are a great leader," contradicted Sylvanas. "Don't try to deny it."

Kelrian sighed. "I'm a leader in battle but I'm not good in politics. Alleria is better suited for the role of a leader. She has more experience than me. More experience when it comes to politics. I would have never been able to form an alliance with the human kingdoms, the kaldorei, the dwarves, the gnomes and the Forsaken. I'm a warrior. I'm a general but not a king."

Sylvanas tilted her head and brushed the strands of green hair out of his face, revealing the right side of his face. "You may have not enough experience when it comes to politics but I'm sure you can learn that. I could teach you about politics."

Kelrian sighed. "Even if I would be good at politics, I think Alleria is still a better choice than me. I rather fight at the front instead of staying in Silvermoon and plan everything. I know that Alleria also participates in battles but only in the most important ones. I want to fight in every necessary battle and kill as many Scourge minions as possible. Our people wouldn't be able to fully focus on the battle when their king is around them. They would give everything to protect me and not pay enough attention to their surroundings. I rather have my men focused on the enemy than on me. I don't want to be the king as long as I have to fight at the front. And I won't stop fighting as long as the Scourge is still active."

Sylvanas was silent for a few moments, giving him an agreeing nod. "I understand you."

"I want to come with you to Undercity but only when Alleria has no important tasks for me. We have to reconquer the remaining villages first and then clear the Ruins of Silvermoon. When the sin'dorei no longer need my help, I will come to Undercity and see what I can do in Tirisfal Glades and in the Eastern and in the Western Plaguelands," he explained.

Sylvanas got closer to him, slipping onto his lap. Her face was only a few inches away from his. She felt his hot breath on her cold skin. "There is much to do in the Eastern Plaguelands. Stratholme, Naxxramas and a few other Scourge bases are still a threat to us. As I said, I could make use of someone with such a great talent for killing Scourge minions."

"I will help you as soon as I can, my love."

Sylvanas smiled and pecked on his lips. "I'm glad to hear that."

"When will you go?" he asked.

"Tomorrow." Sylvanas noticed the sad look in his eyes before it vanished the next moment.

"So this is our last night together before we separate again for an unknown amount of time?"

Sylvanas gave him a sad nod. "It is but we will meet again as soon as possible."

Kelrian put his hand on the back of her head, pulling her hood down slowly. He ran his fingers through her pale blonde hair, massaging her scalp softly. Sylvanas had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the gentle touch. Sylvanas' eyes were still closed as Kelrian closed the distance between their faces, pressing his lips against hers. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to return the kiss, putting one of her hands on his back.

The kiss was slow but passionate, Kelrian was breathing through his nose to extend it as long as possible. They didn't use their tongues yet but the kiss was still awesome enough and made them want to share more kisses. They kissed again after a short pause, using their tongues this time.

Sylvanas' tongue entered Kelrian's mouth first and licked every reachable spot. Kelrian allowed her tongue to be unchallenged for several minutes, then he used his tongue to fight back. Their tongue's fought for dominance. None of their tongues won but Kelrian still managed to insert his tongue into her mouth. He explored her mouth, softly moaning into the kiss. The kiss they were sharing was one of the best they had ever shared. It made him breathless, so he had to pull away to catch some air.

He stared into Sylvanas' eyes, noticing the lust in them. Kelrian rubbed her left cheek, running his fingers over her ear. His fingers reached the earring in the middle of her ear, toying with it gently without causing any pain to Sylvanas. He did the same with the other ear, running the tip of his index finger over the golden ring. Getting touched by his demonic hand felt weird but not unpleasant. She was sure she would get used to it soon.

He toyed with her ears a little, then he brought his mouth to her right ear and ran the tip of his tongue over its entire length. He chuckled as it twitched in excitement. He did the same with the other, making it twitch too. He didn't need to touch the tips of her ears to know they were stiff. He was sure that Sylvanas was aroused and he knew he would find more evidence of this if he would undress her.

"We should make use of this night then. We have no idea how many days or weeks we will be separated," Kelrian whispered into her left ear and bit it gently, causing a low moan to escape Sylvanas' lips. Sylvanas wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body against his.

She closed her eyes as he started to kiss her neck, she tilted her head to give him better access. He would mark her, she was sure of that but she didn't even try to stop him. She allowed him to bite her neck gently and leaving several love bites. Kelrian enjoyed marking _his territory_. He kissed the other side of her neck and began to remove the armour she was wearing.

He didn't need long to remove her upper body armour. He had expected her to wear a normal bra beneath it but instead, she wore white-silver sexy lace underwear. Kelrian's mouth started to water, his eyes widened a little and a surprised expression appeared on his face. His lips formed a wide grin, lust appeared in his eyes. Sylvanas blushed a little as she noticed his hungry eyes staring at her breasts.

Sylvanas said nothing at first but the longer he ogled her breasts the more confident she got. She had feared he would not like her undead body, she had feared he would consider her as ugly and would never want to touch her. She had feared he would be disgusted by the thought of getting intimate with a corpse.

Even though he had already touched her once, she still had had these fears. They had been intimate but she had still feared being rejected. But now that she saw the lustful look in his eyes, she was certain he was not disgusted by her. It was obvious that he was attracted to her body. It was the same body he had loved in life, only her skin colour was different.

Kelrian brought his hands to her D-cup breasts, cupping them. He didn't hesitate to knead them, enjoying their softness. He didn't stop as Sylvanas leaned in and sealed her mouth on his, capturing him in a long-lasting passionate kiss. Their tongues danced with each other while Kelrian's hands groped her breasts.

He could feel her stiff nipples through the fabric. He kneaded her nipples and twisted them a little, noticing that one of them was pierced. The left one. Kelrian knew he had to be gentler with that one so he stopped twisting it and just kneaded it with the tips of his thumb and index finger.

A moan escaped Sylvanas' lips. It was not too loud but not too quiet either. Kelrian smirked and continued to fondle her breasts, putting one of his hands on her back. He opened her bra with one hand and removed it. He licked his lips as he caught sight of her exposed breasts.

Kelrian lowered his head and licked over the pierced nipple, putting the other between his index finger and thumb. He twisted it and pinched it while he licked gently over the other. Another moan escaped Sylvanas' lips, which was a bit louder than the previous one.

Kelrian continued to toy with her breasts but Sylvanas was not idle in the meantime. She did not just sit between his legs and did nothing while receiving pleasure. She wanted to make him feel good too. It was not just sexual desire she felt for him. If it would just be sexual desire she felt, she would only demand him to please her. But It was love which she felt, so she wanted to make him feel good in return because she loved him. She loved him the same way he loved her.

She put a hand on his upper thigh, resting it there for a nearly two minutes before she moved it upwards. She noticed the bump between his legs and began to rub it slowly through the fabric. Her other hand rested on his muscular chest at the beginning but the longer their foreplay endured, the more it travelled south.

Sylvanas used both hands to unbutton his trousers, pulling them down slowly. More moans escaped her lips in the meantime and she noticed that she got wetter and wetter. Kelrian was really good at what he was doing. He had always been a great lover, the best she ever had. Unlike the lovers she had had in the past, extended foreplay had always been important to him. He loved to toy with Sylvanas' breasts and he loved what she was about to do.

Sylvanas pulled his underpants down, her eyes widened as she saw his stiff manhood. She was more than just surprised by its size. She remembered correctly how long his dick had been the last time she had made love to him. It had been pretty large for the genitals of an elf. Now that Kelrian had gotten larger, his manhood had gotten larger too, as she had expected. She had expected it to be very large but she was still surprised by its actual size.

"By the Sunwell... It's so big... I doubt that it will fit into me..."

Kelrian made no comment about her statement. He just grinned at her and pulled her a little closer. Sylvanas' crimson eyes still rested on his manhood. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She wondered how this big thing would feel in her tight pussy. She wondered how good she would feel when it would penetrate her walls. She wondered how long she would endure with that thing inside her. She assumed it would hurt a little at the beginning but she was certain the pain would vanish quickly and be replaced by pleasure.

She will find out if her assumptions were right but not yet. She didn't want to insert his cock in her needy pussy even though she was so horny at the moment and wanted his dick so badly. She wanted to do the same he did to her and toy with him. She wanted to tease him as he teased her. She wanted to make him horny too. There was only one way to do that and she would need both hands for it.

She put her hands around his long and thick shaft, stroking it slowly. Kelrian's eyes rested on her but he didn't stop to toy with her breasts, his demonic hand caressed her back softly. Getting touched by it no longer felt weird for Sylvanas. She had gotten used to it.

Sylvanas enjoyed touching his huge dick, noticing that it twitched softly under her cold touch. It was stiffer than ever, signalizing her that Kelrian was really aroused. But so was Sylvanas. She had gotten wetter and wetter with time, her needy pussy wanted to be touched. She knew she had to be more patient. She also knew that the longer she waited, the better she will feel when his dick would be inside her and the better her orgasm will be. She had to be patient but that was no problem for her because she was a patient woman.

Sylvanas was using both hands to make him feel good, causing loud moans to escape his lips from time to time. She knew she was good, she knew what to do to make his moans became louder and more frequent. She increased her rubbing speed, her eyes rested on his dick. Kelrian was biting his bottom lip softly, his head was tilted back a little and his eyes were half-closed but still rested on her. A smile could be seen on Sylvanas' lips as she returned the gaze.

She increased her pace again and even run the tip of her tongue over the entire length of his dick and his glans. She teased him with her tongue and rubbed his dick very fast but she didn't take it in her mouth. She didn't suck his dick, she just licked it and rubbed it but that was already enough to bring him close to his climax.

Waves of pleasure rushed through his body, his glans started to tingle and his dick began to twitch. Nothing happened for a few moments but then Sylvanas managed to bring him over the edge. Cum shot out and landed on her face and on her breasts. His dick was still twitching and Sylvanas rubbed it slowly until it stopped.

Sylvanas' eyes still rested on him, a wide grin could be seen on her cum-covered face. She stared at him for nearly two minutes and then cleaned her face and her breasts with handkerchiefs. She was more than just satisfied with the outcome. She had really enjoyed touching and rubbing his huge dick which was still stiff.

A perverted grin appeared on her lips. "That's just the beginning, my dear. We are not finished yet."

Kelrian smirked, signalizing her that he was ready. Sylvanas let go off his dick and started to remove the green blouse he was wearing. Her eyes fell on his muscular stomach and then wandered to his broad chest as soon as she had removed his shirt. Demonic runes were tattooed on his arms, on his chest and on his back. He even had the crest of the Sunstrider family tattooed on his back. It was in the middle of his back and surrounded by circles which consisted of demonic and thalassian symbols. Sylvanas noticed her name written in ancient thalassian on his left arm and the names of their children on his right arm.

Sylvanas said nothing as she regarded his upper body and took a closer look at the tattoos. She lifted her head eventually, not knowing how much time had passed since she had started examining his upper body. Despite the tattoos, she still enjoyed the view. She was heavily attracted to his thoroughly fit body and his handsome face. She was much wetter than before and the tips of her ears and her nipples were as stiff as possible. She was really horny. She couldn't wait to put his dick in her pussy but she knew she had to stimulate herself a little before she could do that, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to insert his dick without hurting herself.

Sylvanas stroked Kelrian's dick with one hand, the other massaged her wet pussy lips. Kelrian replaced her hand with his right hand, caressing her slick folds while Sylvanas toyed with her clit to make herself feel much better. Due to the passionate foreplay, he didn't need long to make the Banshee Queen ready for his dick. Sylvanas inserted her fingers in her pussy and fingered herself until her inner walls were widened enough to welcome Kelrian's manhood.

Kelrian laid on the bed, his head was lifted a little and his eyes rested on Sylvanas who sat squatted above his upper thighs. She propped herself on the mattress with one hand, theother was enclosed around his shaft and slowly guided it to her needy pussy. A sharp cry escaped her lips as the tip of his cock entered her pussy. She slowly inserted more of his dick inside her, feeling her inner walls tightening around his. The suppressed hisses which escaped her lips quickly turned into moans which were as loud as the ones that escaped her lover's lips.

Sylvanas tilted her head back, a very loud moan escaped her lips as the tip of his dick hit her g-spot for the first time. Sylvanas looked down at herself, noticing that she was wetter than ever. As expected not every inch of Kelrian's manhood fit in her pussy. His dick was too large for her but she didn't mind that.

She only wished she could sit on his hips and ride him but that was not possible as long as his dick was not fully inside her. She could not ride him but she could move her hips up and down his cock. And she did that. His dick rubbed her inner walls, making both elves moan loudly.

Sylvanas moved her free hand to her right breast, fondling it while the other still rested on the mattress. Kelrian's hands rested on her hips and caressed them gently, his eyes rested on her. He didn't dare to look away while she was bouncing on his dick. He didn't need to do anything because Sylvanas was doing all the work.

She was moving her hips erotically, causing that the tip of his cock hit her g-spot over and over again. She loved the sensation of having his dick inside her pussy. She had always loved it and she had missed it so much since she had realised that she still had sexual needs, even though she was undead.

But she didn't fuck him just because of her lower desires. She was having sex with him because she loved him and she loved to have sex with him. She wouldn't do that with any other man. Kelrian was the only man for her. The only man she had ever truly loved with all her heart. Even with her undead heart, which no longer beat, she still loved him. She would always love him, no matter what will happen. Not even death changed her feelings for him.

Sylvanas put her other hand on her left breast, kneading it as well. Kelrian's hands still rested on her hips, steadying her and keeping her at balance. He moved her up and down his dick, noticing that his second climax was approaching. He didn't stop nor did Sylvanas stopped toying with her breasts and nipples. She continued to squeeze her left breast with one hand, the other wandered to her clit. She rubbed her clit, pinched it and even kneaded it softly.

The sensation was strong. Too strong. She felt her orgasm approach. It was coming closer with each time the tip of his dick hit her g-spot. She was so close but she didn't come yet. Kelrian came before her.

He shouted her name as he shot his load inside her, filling her pussy. Being filled with his sperms brought Sylvanas over the edge. A loud moan escaped her lips, followed by her lover's name. Her inner walls contracted, pussy fluid was released. She bucked her hips as she rode out her orgasm, a melody of moans escaped her lips.

Sylvanas collapsed as soon as Kelrian's penis left her full pussy. She laid on top of him, a large amount of his cum and her pussy fluid flowed out of her sex. He had released more cum than could fit in her womanhood. The mix of their sex fluids landed on his left upper thigh and the sheet but Kelrian didn't care about it. The blankets could be replaced and he could get his upper thigh clean with the help of pieces of cloth or handkerchiefs.

Sylvanas' head laid on his chest, her eyes were closed as she listened to his loud, unrhythmical breathing. He was out of breath but not exhausted. He just needed a few minutes to calm down before he could do it again. His arms were wrapped around her body, his gaze rested on her.

Sylvanas' kept her eyes shut and as she enjoyed the warmth of his body. She enjoyed being held by him. She enjoyed being near him in general. But what she enjoyed the most was making love to him. Being penetrated by his dick was the best feeling she had ever experienced since she had broken free from the Scourge.

She was looking forward to cuddling with him for a while. She was looking forward to just lying there with him and do nothing. She wanted to relax with him but Kelrian had other plans. Sylvanas opened her eyes as she noticed that he had moved her and himself.

They were lying on their left sides, Kelrian laid behind her and had wrapped an arm around her waist, his body was pressed against hers. His other hand rested on her right upper thigh.

Sylvanas frowned but did nothing to stop Kelrian from doing what he had in mind. His hand wandered to the back of her knee as he started to put kisses on her neck. Sylvanas' right leg was bent and spread. Kelrian lifted it a little so that he had perfect access to her nether region. He was spooning her, caressing her belly with his hand while his demonic hand made sure her legs were spread.

Kelrian was rubbing his still stiff member against her southern entrance, eliciting a loud moan from her mouth. Kelrian ran his tongue over her jawline and her neck, putting soft kisses on her neck and right shoulder. Sylvanas' eyes didn't remain shut for long this time. Her eyes opened again and widened as his massive thing entered her pussy for the second time of the day. He thrust his cock inside her until the tip hit her g-spot, making Sylvanas moan out loudly.

Waves of pleasure rushed through Sylvanas' body and Kelrian was not even moving his hips yet. He didn't move his hips for nearly five minutes, all he did was to kiss her shoulder, her neck and her right breast. He pressed his thumb on her clit, applying pressure. The waves of pleasure that rushed through the Banshee Queen's body became more intense. Their intensity was increased once again as Kelrian decided to move his hips and pump his manhood in and out her.

His rhythm was slow at first but it got faster quickly. It remained consistent, in contrast to the rhythm of the melody that escaped Sylvanas' lips. Her moans were music to Kelrian's ears, just like his moans were music to hers. They enjoyed hearing these lovely sounds from the other. Kelrian's thrusting was fast but not rough. He was gentle with her, not wanting to hurt her. He pumped his dick in and out in a constant rhythm, hitting her most vulnerable spot over and over again.

Sylvanas turned her head eventually and put her hands on his cheeks, pulling him into a passionate kiss. Their tongues met and wrestled, their lips didn't part as if they were glued together. The pleasure they felt was immense. Sylvanas had no idea how much time had passed as she climaxed again. Kelrian stopped to let her rode out her orgasm, gave her a short pause but then continued as he realized she was not exhausted yet. She still had stamina left for another round.

They remained in the same position, moving their hips to make the other feel good. They didn't stop kissing and touching the other. They didn't even stop as Kelrian came inside her again and filled her pussy. They didn't stop as Sylvanas was brought over the edge shortly after he had ridden out his orgasm.

He held her tightly as her body trembled when she rode out her orgasm. He let go of her leg and wrapped both of his arms around her upper body, pulling her closer. His dick became slack after he had pulled it out but it was still pretty large.

Sylvanas had her eyes closed as she snuggled up to him, pressing her backside against his front. She felt his hot breath on her neck, his humanoid hand on her ass and his demonic hand on her belly. Sylvanas put her hands on his, intertwining their fingers. It felt strange to hold his demonic hand. Strange but not uncomfortable. She assumed she would get used to it sooner or later. One day, she would hold it as if it was the most normal hand in the world, she was sure of that.

They shifted and repositioned their bodies. Kelrian was lying on his back and Sylvanas laid next to him, her head rested on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, one hand rested on her back and the other on her hip. Sylvanas' hands rested on his upper body.

The elves were just lying there and cuddling, enjoying the pleasant silence. They said nothing for a while but then four words escaped his lips which would have warmed Sylvanas' heart if she would still be alive.

"I love you, Sylvanas," he said again as he stared into her crimson red eyes which were widened and reflected nothing but love and surprise.

Her response came immediately. "I love you too, Kelrian."


	49. The Next Morning

Kelrian's eyes were closed, his breaths were slow and steady. He was not doing anything except for lying in bed. He was sleeping, Sylvanas assumed that at least. Her hand rested on his chest which was rising and falling in a constant rhythm. She ran the tips of her fingers over his soft skin, her eyes rested on his handsome face.

She enjoyed watching him sleep. She had always loved to do that in life and she still loved to do it in death. She didn't need to sleep so she could watch him the entire time. She could but she hadn't done it all the time. She had watched him for the past three hours but the hours before, she had pretended to sleep and relaxed a little. Pretending to sleep was perfect to kill time. There was nothing else she could do until he would wake up.

She knew she wouldn't see him for an unknown amount of time, so she used the time they had left wisely. She had snuggled up to him and rested her head on his chest while she had pretended to sleep. Now, she was still cuddling with him but she was watching him at the same time. He looked so innocent. So peaceful. As if he wouldn't hurt a fly.

But he was not innocent. He had been trained as a ranger, trained to defend his home and kill everyone who would intend to hurt the citizens of Quel'Thalas. He had killed many orcs and trolls in the Second War. He had only killed them to defend himself or others. He had killed them when he had no other choice.

He was not a murderer who killed for joy or for profit. He killed to survive. His hands were not free of blood. But at least no blood of innocent creatures stuck on them. Those he had killed had deserved to die. Many Scourge creatures had fallen by his hands. Not too many for Sylvanas' liking. More of them had to fall if they wanted to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas.

Sylvanas wanted nothing more than Arthas' death. She would do anything to achieve her goal as long as nothing bad would happen to her loved ones. She wouldn't risk the lives of her family. She wanted to protect Kelrian by any means but he was much stronger than her so he didn't need her protection. It was the other way around. It was Kelrian's task to protect her from those who wanted her dead. Really dead. He had to protect her from the minions of the Lich King and from the Scarlet Crusade. She was strong enough to protect herself but it didn't hurt her to have someone very powerful by her side.

Sylvanas moved her hand upwards, touching his face. She caressed his cheeks, ran her fingers over his nose and forehead and then touched his long ears. They twitched when she touched them but Kelrian didn't wake up. Not even as she ran the tip of her index finger over his soft lips. Her head got closer to his until their faces were only a few inches away from each other. Her eyes rested on his lips which were slightly parted.

Sylvanas hesitated for a few moments but then she closed the distance between their faces and pressed her lips on his. She couldn't stop kissing his soft lips. She couldn't break the kiss even though she had only planned to peck on his lips shortly. The kiss was one-sided at first but Kelrian returned it a few moments later. His eyes shot open, staring into hers. Kelrian deepened the kiss and bit her bottom lip softly, demanding entrance. Sylvanas parted her lips and opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth.

Kelrian sat up and wrapped an arm around Sylvanas, pulling her closer. Sylvanas found herself on his lap, one of his hands rested on her back while the other caressed her hip. Sylvanas' tongue slipped into his mouth at the same moment as his hand wandered to her well-formed ass and started to knead it. Neither Kelrian nor Sylvanas wore any clothes.

The kiss ended eventually. Kelrian was taking deep breaths, his chest was rising and falling in an inconsistent rhythm. His body needed a few more moments to calm down. "Good morning, Sylvanas," Kelrian said eventually.

Sylvanas' lips formed a happy smile. "Good morning, my love," she said in return. She put her hands on his face, caressing his checks.

Kelrian pulled her closer to him and Sylvanas pressed her body against his, kissing him again. The kiss they shared didn't endure as long as the first kiss but it was much more passionate.

"I hope you did sleep well," Sylvanas said and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I did. I dreamed of you."

Sylvanas' smile became wider. "What did you dream?"

Kelrian smirked and brought his lips to her face, whispering something in her ear. Sylvanas' smile became wider, a blush appeared on her beautiful face. "That sounds very... _interesting_."

Kelrian said nothing in return. All he did was to caress her back with his hand and put a few kisses on her neck. Sylvanas tilted her head to give him better access to her neck. "We still have time for that," she whispered. "I might return to Undercity today but I didn't say when. We have a few more hours we can spend... _wisely_. If you know what I mean."

Kelrian started to kiss her jawline. "I do," he said in a low voice.

* * *

Kelrian sat on the bed, his back leaned against the headboard. He had no idea how much time had passed but he didn't care. He had really enjoyed what they had been doing and he knew that Sylvanas had enjoyed it too. The loud noises that had escaped her lips were proof enough. She wouldn't have rocked her hips against him and cried out his name if she wouldn't have enjoyed love-making had been more than just enjoyable for both of them.

Sylvanas was still sitting on top of him and straddling him but he couldn't see her. Due to his golden eye, he could even see her through the blindfold he was wearing but he had both of his eyes closed. Not being able to see her had made things more interesting. It had given him an additional kick.

The Dark Lady caressed his cheeks and put kisses on them. She pecked on his lips a few times and then kissed him passionately, removing his blindfold.

He opened his eyes, staring into her crimson red eyes. Sylvanas smiled at him and Kelrian returned her smile. "Would you remove the ties and free me?" he asked.

"What if I prefer you tied to my bed?" she asked in a seductive voice.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Your bed?"

"Our bed," she corrected.

"How should I help the sin'dorei against the Scourge and wretched if you won't let me out of our room?"

"You have a point. I wish I could lock us in our room forever. I wish we could stay in bed forever and have passionate, steamy sex until the end of time."

Kelrian smiled. "I like the idea but that's not possible as long as the Scourge is still active."

Sylvanas nodded and sighed. "Unfortunately, you are right."

Kelrian kissed her cheek. "I will do anything to destroy the Scourge and make Arthas pay. I will avenge you, Sylvera and our loved ones. I will avenge any member of the Alliance who died or suffered because of him. No one will escape their just punishment. Xenarion and Dar'Khan got what they deserved and so will Arthas. I will make sure of that."

Sylvanas said nothing in return. She just stared into his eyes, one of her hands rested on his chest, the other toyed with his ears and hair. He noticed determination in her eyes but also a small amount of grief. He kissed her, deepening the kiss as soon as he noticed that she returned it. They shared another passionate kiss which made Kelrian breathless for nearly a minute. Sylvanas looked less troubled than before, meaning he had achieved his goal. He had successfully distracted her.

They shared a quick kiss and smiled at each other. Sylvanas stared into his eyes as she removed the ties and freed his hands. He rubbed his wrists and then put his hands on her hips, caressing them softly. Sylvanas kissed him softly and then got up from his lap. "We must change the sheets," she said as he stretched her back and ran her fingers through her messy hair, fixing it. "They are sticky."

Kelrian grinned. "I wonder why," he teased and ran a hand over his back, feeling many scratching marks.

"I broke a nail," Sylvanas said as she regarded her left hand. "Your skin is pretty thick."

"Will it regrow?"

"My body is dead, so no. My hair wouldn't regrow either if I would cut it. Fortunately, there are some people in Undercity who could replace my nail."

Kelrian got up from the bed and picked up his pants, putting them on. He turned his head, looking at Sylvanas who bent down at this very moment to pick up her underwear. He had a perfect view of her well-formed ass and her southern lips which were still wet. Kelrian was not sure if she did this on purpose or not. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he enjoyed the view. She was so sexy.

Sylvanas put on her underwear, continuing with her leggings and her tunic. She looked at Kelrian, noticing that he wore a pair of brown trousers and an expensive blue blouse. She smiled at him and put her hand on his right cheek, caressing it.

Kelrian returned the smile. "We should go."

"I don't want to go to Undercity... but I have to. I can't leave my people for too long. I already stayed longer than usual. The thought of Varimathras ruling Undercity alone makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I thought you trust him."

"I do. He proved his loyalty to me and he never disappointed me since then but... I don't know, something seems fishy... I still keep an eye on him. Many eyes, to be exact. Some of my dark rangers are watching him. Nathanos and Verena always tell me what he has done in my absence."

"Being careful when it comes to him is the best you can do," Kelrian responded.

Sylvanas nodded. "I know."

They stared into each other's eyes, not saying anything for a while. Sylvanas approached him, stepped on her tiptoes and pulled his head down so that she could seal her lips on his. The kiss was soft and passionate. Kelrian's heart was beating faster than usual, his skin tingled in excitement. He really enjoyed kissing her and the same counted for Sylvanas. She knew she wouldn't be able to kiss him for a while so she savoured this moment. The kiss lasted longer than expected, leaving Kelrian breathless when he pulled away.

He took slow and deep breaths and caressed Sylvanas' cheek while he stared into her eyes. Sylvanas returned the staring but didn't say anything. The silence between them was anything but awkward. It was very pleasant.

Sylvanas pulled away eventually, signalizing Kelrian to follow her. He obeyed and left the room with her, following the course of the corridor. They took the staircase at the end of the corridor, arriving on the first floor. They came to the main entrance of Sylvanas' private house and left it without hesitation.

They walked through the front garden, opened the wooden gate and left her estate. Lots of blood elves, humans, dwarves and even some Forsaken were walking through the street in front of them. There were several guards, lots of traders but also visitors who wanted to take a closer look at Silvermoon's beauty. More and more buildings of the capital city had been rebuilt in the past years but there were still a few which had not been restored or reconstructed yet. Sylvanas was sure that it was only a matter of time until the former beauty of Silvermoon would be restored.

Kelrian and Sylvanas were greeted by lots of the citizens and visitors who saw them. The couple nodded at them and even called some of them by their names but they didn't stop to talk to these familiar persons. They didn't have the time to do that. They walked through the streets and came to Sunfury Spire after half an hour.

The guards in front of the building lowered their heads in respect and allowed them to pass. Sylvanas and Kelrian walked to Alleria's office without hesitation, knocking at the door. They heard Alleria's voice which told them to come in. Her voice sounded much weaker and quieter than usual, making Sylvanas frown.

They opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind them. Alleria sat on her chair but it was turned away from the couple so that they couldn't see much of her. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to walk over to the chair and step in front of Alleria. The Regent Lady of Silvermoon wore the red and golden version of her Ranger-Captain uniform which she always wore, her hood was pulled down so that her hair was exposed. It didn't look magnificent at all. It was messy and didn't shine as golden as it usually did.

Alleria's face was pale, red circles could be seen under her wet eyes. She had cried recently. Sylvanas put a hand on her sister's cheek, a worried expression could be seen on her face. "Alleria...What's wrong? Speak to me please..." Sylvanas' voice was quiet and soothing.

Alleria's gaze fell on her little sister who was giving her a concerned look. "Sylvanas... I..."

"Calm down, Alleria. I'm here for you. Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

Alleria nodded and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Sylvanas pulled her up and wrapped her arms around her slightly taller sister, allowing her to put her head on her shoulder. Sylvanas ran her fingers through her hair, looking at Kelrian whose face also reflected worry. He stood not far away from them and regarded them. He knew there was not much he could do at this moment. Sylvanas was the only one who could calm down her sister.

Sylvanas looked back at Alleria and kissed her forehead just like Alleria had done whenever Sylvanas had been upset or emotional when they had been much younger.

Alleria had wrapped her arms tightly around Sylvanas' shoulders, not wanting to let her go. The undead elf didn't stop to caress her sister's back and run her fingers through her hair. "Speak to me, Lady Sun," Sylvanas whispered into her ear. "What's wrong?"

Alleria took her deep breath. Her heart was still hammering in her chest and she still felt shattered but at least she felt a little better than before. Sylvanas' presence comforted her. "I received bad news," she said after a while.

"Bad news?" Sylvanas asked quietly.

"Our spies scouted the area of Stratholme. A few of them even managed to get into the city. They sneaked into the main building and spotted someone. Someone they had not expected to see..."

Sylvanas was alarmed. She had a bad premonition about who the spies might have seen. It could only be someone who had meant a lot to Alleria, otherwise, she wouldn't be so emotional. She had an idea who could it be but she didn't dare to say his name. She could only hope that it was not him the spies had seen in Stratholme.

"Who is it?" Sylvanas asked, pressing her sister tighter against herself.

"It's...It's..." Alleria's voice broke, quiet sobs escaped her lips.

"It's Turalyon, isn't it?" Sylvanas asked in her most soothing voice.

Alleria nodded but didn't say anything. The only sounds that escaped her lips were loud sobs.

Sylvanas looked at Kelrian, noticing that he was as shocked as her. They had thought that Turalyon had died on Quel'Danas. He had been declared dead just like Kelrian. Sylvanas had hoped that he had found peace but it turned out that Arthas had not done him that favour. Turalyon was in Stratholme which could only mean that he was a member of the Scourge.

Sylvanas was sad. Turalyon was Alleria's husband and she had always got along well with him. Just like every other member of her family, he was very important to her. Hearing about his fate shocked her and made her sad.

"He is a death knight...," muttered Alleria between sobs. Sylvanas whispered soothing words into her ears, caressed her back and put kisses on her forehead. She did everything that came into her mind to calm down her sister. She needed a while but she managed to comfort her. Alleria stopped sobbing but kept her head on her younger sister's shoulder. Her arms were tightly wrapped around Sylvanas' upper body. Alleria didn't want to let her go. She needed her sister more than ever at this moment.

If Sylvanas would have been alive, she would have had problems to breathe because the hug was too tight. But she didn't need to breathe so she could remain in this position as long as necessary. She didn't feel very comfortable but she didn't say anything and just allowed Alleria to hug her as tightly as she wanted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Alleria," Kelrian said. "Turalyon was a good friend of mine. Hearing about his fate makes me sad. He is forced to serve that bastard but there is still hope for him. He can be freed from the Scourge's control if we manage to weaken the Lich King. We should not give up on him yet."

Alleria's eyes fell on him. "But... Even if we free him... He won't be the same... Nothing will be the same..."

"Death has changed Turalyon, I'm sure of that. Death changed us all. All you can do is hope that the man you fell in love with still exists in the death knight. We have to free him and you have to reach him somehow. You have to try everything to get him back," responded Sylvanas.

"Hope is not lost, Alleria. Sylvanas and I found each other again, so I'm positive that you can too but first, we have to get him and find a way to free him."

Alleria gave Kelrian a nod. "I think you are right," she said quietly.

"The worst thing we can do in these dark times is to lose hope," Sylvanas said quietly. Her gaze fell on Kelrian. "I think it's best if you leave us alone. I will come to you as soon as I'm convinced that my sister is alright."

"You don't have to stay longer just because of me. You need to return to Undercity," Alleria protested quietly.

"Undercity can wait for a few more hours or even one more day. I won't leave you while you are in this condition. I might be undead but I'm not heartless. You are my sister and I do everything in my power to help you. I will give my best to comfort you because you are still important to me. I still love you, my dear sister."

Alleria said nothing in return. All she did was to hug Sylvanas and enjoy her comforting presence.

"I will see you later then, Sylvanas," Kelrian said. "Good luck."

The Dark Lady nodded. "I will come to you as soon as I can."

"Take your time, my love."

"I will, my dear."

* * *

Kelrian turned his head as soon as he heard quiet footsteps. Sylvanas walked towards him, her facial expression was neutral. She stopped next to him and looked at him without saying a word. "How is Alleria doing?" asked a familiar feminine voice.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at her little sister whose face reflected worry. "She is fine for now. I convinced her to take a nap. You should look after her in a few hours."

The silver-haired woman nodded determinedly. "I will. I will do everything in my power to comfort her."

Sylvanas gave her a smile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Sylvanas. It's only natural for me to comfort our sister just as we comforted you when..." She nodded in Kelrian's direction. Sylvanas nodded too, signalizing her that she understood what she meant.

Kelrian looked at his sister-in-law. "I have to thank you for being there for Sylvanas when I was declared dead. Sylvanas is really lucky to have you."

Vereesa blushed and lowered her gaze, looking at her fingers. "It was nothing, really. She is still my sister and I love her. Just because Arthas raised and changed her doesn't mean I'm not allowed to love her. She will always be my sister, no matter what will happen. I just did what everyone would have done in my situation."

"Well, not everyone is as accepting as you are. I heard from many Forsaken that their relatives regard them as abominations and don't want to have any contact with them even though they are on the same side. Not everyone is as accepting as you and Alleria are. Kelrian is right, I'm really lucky to have you," responded Sylvanas and walked to her sister, pulling her in a tight hug.

Vereesa's face became as red as a tomato. She was flattered by her sister's words. She didn't hesitate to return her hug and caress Sylvanas' back. She allowed the Banshee Queen to kiss her cheek and she kissed Sylvanas' cheek in return. "I will miss you, Little Moon," Sylvanas whispered into her ear.

"I will miss you too, Lady Moon."

"I'm sure we will meet again soon."

"I hope so, sis," Vereesa whispered and kissed Sylvanas' other cheek.

Sylvanas pulled away and regarded her little sister for a few moments before she stepped to Rhonin and hugged him briefly. "Take care of my sisters, Rhonin."

The red-haired man nodded. "I will. Don't worry about that."

Sylvanas turned to Raesh, giving him a wide smile. Raesh returned her smile and stepped to his mother, hugging her. He was as tall as her but still looked very young. He was twenty years old which was nothing for an elf. He was so innocent and inexperienced. He had been trained since a young age but he had never joined a battle nor had he killed an enemy. He was a talented mage but he had never used his magic in a real battle. Sylvanas hoped he wouldn't have to join a battle anytime soon.

She hoped that the Lich King would be defeated before his teacher would declare him ready to participate in the war. She knew that it was Raesh's dream to fight by his father's side and prove himself. She knew he wanted to avenge his people, his sister and his mother. She knew he wanted to be a glorious and well-known fighter like his parents but she still hoped he wouldn't have to fight the Scourge.

She knew he was good but she was still afraid to lose him. She had already lost her daughter, so she didn't want to lose her son too. Too many members of her family had died in the Second and Third War. The Windrunner family would need hundreds if not thousands of years to make up for the loses in the past twenty years. They would need quite some time to become as numerous as they had once been. Raesh was the only one who could pass on her and Kelrian's genes. Through his veins ran the blood of the Sunstrider, Sunsinger and Windrunner families.

Even if he wouldn't have kids, Sylvanas' sisters and their children could still continue the Windrunner bloodline. Sylvanas was sure that Vereesa would want to have more than only two children. Sylvanas had also wanted to have more than two children but Arthas had destroyed her dream by killing her. No matter how often Kelrian would come inside her, she wouldn't be able to get pregnant and carry a child out.

Sylvanas would do anything to make sure that the Windrunner family wouldn't extinguish. Not like Verena's family. She was the last member of her family and she was undead, so she couldn't get kids even if she wanted. Vara was also the last member of her family. She was still alive but she couldn't get kids, so her bloodline couldn't be continued. If she would die, the Sweetblossom family would be extinct.

"Be careful, Raesh. Make sure your father won't do anything stupid," she said and kissed his right cheek.

Her son gave her a small smile. "I will do my best."

Sylvanas hugged him for a few more moments before she pulled away and turned to the love of her life. She noticed in Kelrian's green eye that he didn't want her to leave. He was already missing her but he knew that he would see her again as soon as all threats in Quel'Thalas were gone. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

And so was she. She didn't want to go either but she knew that her people needed her. There was much to do in Tirisfal Glades. The Scarlet Crusade and the Scourge were still causing problems, so she had to take care of them. She was sure Kelrian will help her as soon as he will come to Undercity.

Sylvanas approached him and pressed her body against his, stepping on her tiptoes so that she could put her lips on his. The kiss was sweet and passionate, lasting for almost five minutes. Sylvanas put her hands on his cheeks and caressed them softly after they had pulled away. "Take care of yourself, my love. Come to me as soon as you dealt with the Scourge and the wretched in Quel'Thalas. I'm already missing you."

"I'm already missing you too," Kelrian said and put his hand beneath her chin, lifting it. He stared into her eyes and lowered his head, kissing her again. The kiss was as sweet and passionate as the previous one. They stared at each other for nearly a minute and then averted their gazes, looking at the others who were smiling at them.

Sylvanas took Kelrian's right hand, running her thumb over its back. She touched the ring on his wedding finger, brought his hand to her lips and kissed the ring. Kelrian chuckled and did the same with the hand on which she was wearing his wedding ring. "When you come to Undercity, we should exchange them."

Kelrian nodded. "We should do that."

Sylvanas stepped away from him and walked to the portal, looking at the gathered persons. "I will see you soon. Take care of yourselves," she said before she stepped through the portal.


	50. The High Inquisitor

_Dear Sylvanas,_

_Fifteen days passed since you returned to Undercity. Fifteen days in which my desire to see you became stronger and stronger. I miss you. I miss you so badly. I can't wait to see you again. As you know, I will come to Undercity as soon as I can._

_Our people still need my help. We managed to retake Windrunner Village but Windrunner Spire is still possessed by the Scourge. There are so many banshees, shades and cultists there. We will take care of them first and then we will clear the ruins of Silvermoon. There is much we have to do and I hope we won't lose too many soldiers. I hope Quel'Thalas will be freed from the Scourge's influence soon._

_I thought about taking Raesh to the ruins. The Scourge minions and wretched are scattered everywhere in the ruins, the groups are rather small, so they won't pose a big threat to us. We should be able to take care of them without losing anyone. I'm not sure what you think about it, but I have the impression that our son is ready to join the action. He is not ready to join small skirmishes but I think he can help us killing these scattered creatures. I will be always by his side and protect him. Nothing will happen to him. You have my word._

_I have no doubt that he will be able to kill some ghouls or skeletons. I realized how strong his magic is when I trained him in the past week. It seems that his specialisation is frost magic. He is better at casting frost spells than fire or arcane spells. His fire is strong too, probably strong enough to burn weaker Scourge minions but not as strong as his frost spells. I think it's the right time to show him how to fight the Scourge. Getting some experience in fighting the Scourge won't hurt him. That way, he will know what we have to deal with in case the Scourge attacks Quel'Thalas._

_If you have any objections, then tell me and I will go without him. We won't go to the ruins until we free Windrunner Spire, so you have enough time to send a reply. I will take him with me as long as you don't say anything against it. I promise that I will take care of him._

_That's all I have to say for now. I wonder how you are doing and what is going on in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades. I'm sure you will deal with any problem. Let's hope that the Scarlet Crusade will stop being a pain in the ass._

_I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Stay safe, my love._

_Your Kelrian._

_Dear Kelrian,_

_First of all, I'm really surprised that you sent me a letter. I have to admit that I have not expected that. We haven't written letters in years. The last time we did that was during the Second War when you went to Lordaeron to help in its defence. Writing this letter to you evokes nostalgic feelings. It reminds me of the past, of the good old times when you served under me as a ranger._

_Do you remember the time when you were a recruit? I remember it clearly. You, Kelia, Zetai, Saith and Vendora were in my group and I gave my best to make good rangers out of you. I think I did a good job with that. All of you became excellent rangers and you and Zetai became the best recruits of your generation. I have always been proud of you, I hope you know that._

_Do you remember when I gave the others two days off and went with you on a small excursion? We hunted a few deer and slept in a cave in the night. We came to a lake the following day and took a bath. I still remember that day as if it happened yesterday. We removed our clothes and took a bath and then... Well, I guess you remember what happened then. I remember it clearly. I didn't forget any of these special moments. You have covered my mouth with your hand to prevent my moans from escaping my lips. The way you made me feel that day... I swear no man or woman ever managed to make me feel that good. You are by far the best lover I ever had and I'm sure you are aware of that._

_I can't wait to see you again. My body cries for your touch, my nether regions want to feel your big thing. Touching myself won't satisfy me in the long run. It only helps me temporarily. I need your big thing so badly and having to wait for it is worse than any form of torture... I hope that your plans will be successful so that I can see you soon._

_About your idea that involves our son: I think it's not a bad idea. He is a very talented young man who not only has a lot of experience in close combat and shooting arrows but was also trained by one of the best archmages from Silvermoon. I wouldn't send him into a battle yet but taking out separated wretched and Scourge minions sounds like a good opportunity for him to prove his talent._

_I'm worried nevertheless. I'm always worried when it comes to you and our family. I don't want to lose any of you. I doubt that this will ever change. Nonetheless, you should take him with you. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he returns unharmed. That's all I ask of you._

_I wish you good luck in the upcoming battle for Windrunner Village but I have no doubt you will be victorious. The combat skills you showed in Deatholme impressed me. I doubt anyone can defeat you alone,_ _anyone except for Arthas. But he will fall one day, we will make sure of that. We will kill him together. Anyway, the Scourge would have to gather their most dangerous minions to pose a threat to you. You are very powerful. Much stronger than I could have ever imagined._

_Nevertheless, stay careful. Don't get cocky and always act carefully. I bet my words annoy you but I just want to make sure you don't think you are undefeatable. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm worried but I trust you and your skills. Just do me a favour and stay safe. Don't take any unnecessary risk and return to me alive._

_I love you with all my heart. You will always be the love of my life no matter what will happen._

_Your beloved Sylvanas._

_Dear Sylvanas,_

_The battle for Windrunner Spire endured much longer than we have expected. We fought for three days and three nights and lost more men than we have expected. But we were successful and that's all that matters. The Spire is free of any Scourge minions and none of them are near it. We claimed it as ours. We stationed a portion of the army there and sent out a messenger to inform Alleria. I wrote a letter to her in which I described the condition of our house._

_It needs to be repaired and refurbished. The house was devastated by the Scourge. The wallpapers are torn off, the furniture is destroyed, the windows are broken and the doors are torn out of their hinges. The house looks much worse than it did when the orcs devastated it during the Second War. What the Scourge did to our house is an insolence. All we can do is to rebuild our house so that our family might live in it again._

_I'm not sure if that will be the case. Alleria will remain in Silvermoon because she is always needed there. Vereesa, Rhonin and their twins live in Dalaran. I could ask them if they want to live there. Maybe Arator and Raesh would live there too. If the others would move in, then I would move in too. We will see._

_Anyway. When you read this letter, it's very likely that I already returned to Silvermoon. Maybe we already set off to the ruins. As I said, I will take Raesh with me and make sure he won't be harmed. Not under my watch. We will get rid of the wretched and the remaining Scourge minions._

_There is something else I want to inform you about. The Scarlet Crusade agreed to a meeting with Rhonin. They will come to Dalaran on the seventh of October. If I have returned until that day, I will go to Dalaran and attend the meeting. I will try everything to convince her to stop attacking your people. It's not unlikely that she demands to see you if she wants to cooperate. I have my doubts about that. I don't know her at all but I have a bad feeling that she will be very stubborn and refuse to accept the fact that your people don't belong to the Scourge. The meeting won't be easy, I'm sure of that._

_I hope for the best._

_If you have any news from your side then feel free to share them with me._

_I love you._

_Your beloved Kelrian._

_Dear Sylvanas,_

_you didn't respond to my previous letter so I assume that nothing noteworthy happened in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades. Things were very eventful for us._

_The Scourge minions and wretched were tougher than expected. We needed much longer to kill them. We didn't lose a single soldier and only a few were injured. Raesh was attacked by a wretched who had tried to drain the mana out of his body. I protected him and killed the miserable creature._

_Apart from this incident, our son didn't have any problems. He kept a large distance from these creatures and bombarded them with spells. His fire and frost spells were very effective against the undead and the wretched. He froze many creatures so that we could kill them easily. He proved to be very useful. I'm proud of him. I told him that and he blushed and smiled at me. He is such an adorable young man. I'm sure that he will become a very powerful mage one day._

_Something crossed my mind recently. Now that I refused to take the crown, Raesh is the rightful heir to the throne. I have no idea if he wants to be king or if he is ready to be king but it's his birthright. He has the right to decide if he wants to be king or not. I would have to make my refusal_ _official and then nothing would stand in his way. Nothing but Raesh himself. It is up to him._

_What do you think? Should I speak to him about that? Should I encourage him to become the king? He is a clever man but he has not much experience when it comes to leading people._ _I'm not sure if he can bear the burden of the crown. He would need more experience. He spent much time with Alleria so I have no doubt she taught him a thing or two about politics and stuff like that. Maybe he should wait a few decades before he becomes king. He needs to get more experience. What do you say? I'm curious to find out what you think about this._

_Anyway. The meeting with Whitemane is in two days... This is going to be rough... Wish me luck. I will give my best so will Rhonin and Alleria. King Wrynn and Lady Proudmoore also agreed to join the meeting. Having the human kingdoms on our side might do the difference. I hope that at least. Let's hope that High Inquisitor Whitemane is a reasonable person... I have my doubts about that. She wouldn't attack anyone who has no intention to attack the Scarlet Crusade if she would be reasonable... I don't want to judge her prematurely. But..._

_Let's hope she realizes that the Forsaken are not her enemies. I hope we can convince her. Almost all kingdoms of the Alliance trust you and your people. Greymane is the only exception but I don't care about him. As long as the majority of the leaders of the Alliance trust you then I don't see a reason why the Scarlet Crusade shouldn't._

_I hope they use their brains and be reasonable. I don't want to fight them but if they attack your people again, we will have no other choice to attack them too. Let's hope this won't happen. The Scourge is already causing enough problems for us so I don't want to deal with these fanatics too._

_Let's hope for the best._

_I will return to Undercity as soon as the meeting is over. I will tell you the results personally. I'm looking forward to seeing you again._

_I love you, Sylvanas._

_Your beloved Kelrian._

* * *

Thirteen o'clock.

Kelrian averted his gaze from the clock on the opposite wall and looked at Rhonin who stared at the door, worry was reflected by his face. Vereesa and Alleria had natural expressions on their faces and even King Varian didn't show how annoyed he was. He just sat on his seat and looked at the clock from time to time.

A quiet sigh escaped Kelrian's lips as he leaned back in his chair and caressed the back of his nose with his fingers. "It doesn't seem that she shows up."

Rhonin sighed as well. "It has only been two hours... Maybe she still shows up..."

"I wouldn't count on it."

"We have no other choice than waiting," responded the leader of the Kirin Tor.

"I hate waiting," said Kelrian.

"So do I but... The Scarlet Crusade agreed to come to this meeting so I'm sure they will. If we go now and they arrive later when no one of us is here, they will return to the Scarlet Monastery. I doubt they will ever come to a meeting again if we don't wait for them."

"What if you let one of your servants there to inform you if Whitemane arrives. I don't see the point in wasting our time here," Kelrian replied.

"I get your point, Kelrian. I understand that you hate waiting but it makes a better impression if we are already here when the High Inquisitor arrives."

"If she arrives," corrected Kelrian.

"If," repeated Rhonin and sighed loudly.

"Punctuality doesn't seem to belong to the traits of the Scarlet Crusade," Kelrian muttered.

Rhonin didn't respond nor did anyone else. They sat on their seats, looked at their hands or at random spots. None of them said anything. The silence was unpleasant and lasted for another half an hour. Quiet squeaking sounds were the only sounds which could be heard the moment the door was opened.

Three humans entered the room. Two men and a woman. The men wore red armour, the crest on their tabards was a red flame. The left man was tall and slim, had auburn hair and a full beard. The other man was shorter but broader. He was shaved and bald. Grim looks could be seen on their faces. The woman's facial expression was different. The look she gave the leaders of the Alliance was neutral, her crimson red eyes regarded them curiously.

Her outfit had the same colour as her eyes. Except for her upper thighs, her entire body was covered by armour. She wore a chapeau on her head, her hair was white and her fingers were decorated by golden metal claws. Her right hand held a large golden staff which end hit the ground whenever she made a step.

Kelrian's gaze rested on her thick upper thighs for a few moments before it wandered to her face. She had a beautiful face, he had to admit that. She wore make-up, her lips were covered by crimson red lipstick. The red marks under her eyes reminded him of the marks on Sylvanas' face. The only difference was that Whitemane's marks were part of her make-up while Sylvanas' marks were permanent.

Kelrian didn't say anything. He remained on his seat and regarded the newcomers curiously. Anything but sympathy went out from the men. Kelrian's first impression was that this meeting would be rough. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rhonin getting up from his chair. "I'm glad you made it, High Inquisitor. We were afraid you wouldn't show up. Feel free to take a seat."

Sally Whitemane didn't respond to him. She didn't even walk to the table Rhonin was pointing at. Instead, she let her gaze wander again. "I thought only the Kirin Tor and the King of Stormwind would show up. You didn't tell me in your letter that the long-ears also participate." Her voice was strict and cold. Neither her gaze nor her voice reflected any positive emotion. Her face reflected disgust as she looked at the blood elves.

Rhonin turned his head, noticing the frowns on the faces of the sin'dorei. They were confused, but said nothing and pretended not to have heard Whitemane's words. Rhonin looked back at the secondary leader of the Scarlet Crusade, wondering what Whitemane hoped to achieve with her comment. He hoped she wouldn't make more of these snide remarks.

"Are you giving me a response or shall I wait for hours before you explain to me what these _creatures_ are doing here?" Whitemane asked, one of her white brows was raised.

"These creatures?" asked Alleria stunned. She was indignant about the human's inappropriate comment. The other sin'dorei looked confused and upset but they didn't say anything.

Whitemane looked at the Regent Lady, regarded her for a few moments and then looked back at Rhonin who was as stunned as his sister-in-law. He had no idea how to react to Whitemane's provoking remarks. He knew he couldn't allow the human to insult the sin'dorei. She also insulted his wife with her remarks and he couldn't allow that. On the other hand, he wanted to convince Whitemane to stop attacking the Forsaken.

He didn't have the time nor the patience to make Whitemane understand that her comments were inappropriate and wouldn't be tolerated by them. Nevertheless, he felt responsible to tell Whitemane that she couldn't behave like this. He couldn't believe that the High Inquisitor didn't want to show the sin'dorei the necessary respect. He had no other choice than making her understand how she should behave as a guest of the Kirin Tor.

Whitemane still stared at Rhonin, expecting him to say something but he didn't. Jaina was the one who spoke to her. "We would be grateful if you stop making such inappropriate comments. The sin'dorei deserve to be treated with respect."

Whitemane turned her head slowly, looking at the blonde archmage. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She said nothing and looked back at Rhonin after nearly a minute. She had the same questioning look on her face that she had given Jaina. "What is Arthas Menethil's whore doing here and why does she dare to speak to me?"

Kelrian noticed that Jaina's eyes narrowed. Anger and hurt were reflected by them. Whitemane was not aware of how much her comment had hurt Jaina. Being insulted as a whore was already bad enough but the High Inquisitor had also expressed that she didn't regard her as an equal living being. In her eyes, Jaina was unworthy to speak to her just like the sin'dorei.

Jaina's knuckles were white as she clasped her magic wand firmly. Kelrian could see in her eyes that she was close to getting up and shooting a spell at the priestess. She was very upset but she managed to control herself due to Vereesa who put a hand on her upper thigh and stared into her eyes.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at Alleria, noticing that she looked more upset than before. She didn't say anything but it was obvious that she wouldn't hold back forever. It was very likely that Alleria would lose her patience soon and say a few harsh words to Whitemane. Kelrian put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him. He gave her a comforting look and whispered soothing words to her. It worked a little at least. She was calmer than before but not calm enough. She was still upset.

Whitemane's gaze fell on Kelrian. "Does your banshee lover know that you are touching her sister? If I were you, I would forget about that filthy rotting corpse and start something with her whore of a sister. I would rather sleep with her than with the enemy."

Kelrian's eye narrowed, he greeted his teeth and gave the High Inquisitor an angry look but he didn't say anything. He was breathing through his nose and tried to calm down to prevent himself from doing something he would regret later. He didn't succeed at all. He was so angry at the moment that Exadius was able to feel his anger through their telepathic link.

"I'm going to cut this bitch in half," Kelrian muttered under his breath.

_I would not do that if I were you. This bitch might deserve it but if you kill her, you will start a war with the Scarlet Crusade. The Alliance may have way more soldiers than them but going to war with the Scarlet Crusade will cost us many lives, resources and most importantly time. The more time we waste, the stronger the Lich King and his army get. We don't have the time to fight the Scarlet Crusade._

Kelrian was very upset but he knew that Exadius was right. Killing Whitemane in front of everyone would not only draw the wrath of the Scarlet Crusade upon the Alliance but also make the other present persons question him. It's not unlikely that they will start to mistrust him or step away from him. He couldn't risk losing them as allies. He didn't want to answer for murdering that bitch. She was the guest of the Kirin Tor which meant that she was under their protection. Killing her would only mean him getting imprisoned or worse.

Kelrian took a deep breath and opened his fist, dissolving the green knife he had conjured in his anger. He let his gaze wander, sighing out in relief as he noticed that neither Alleria nor anyone else had noticed anything.

Whitemane still looked at him, one of her brows was raised. "Did you say something, _elf_? She asked in a patronizing tone.

Kelrian took a deep breath. "I wanted to say that you won't achieve anything if you insult all of us. We are your allies and not your enemies. But if you keep acting like that..." Kelrian stopped speaking and shrugged.

The priestess tilted her head. "Was that a threat?" she asked irritated. Her narrowed eyes reflected confusion.

Kelrian didn't respond to her. He just stared into her eyes, wondering what she will do now.

Rhonin cleared his throat, trying to get Whitemane's attention and defuse the situation. "Could we all calm down and act like reasonable humanoid beings? This applies especially to you, High Inquisitor. Your comments and insults are inappropriate and unwelcome. We are here to discuss how to deal with the Scourge and not to insult others."

"It's not my fault that you didn't mention that these elves and the whore of the traitor prince join you. If I would have known that they attend the meeting too, I wouldn't have come. I cannot stand their presence. I have come to talk to you and the King of Stormwind and not with elven scum."

"Elven scum?" Alleria roared out as she leapt up from her chair. Her eyes were narrowed to slits, her fists were clenched. Vereesa got up and tried to calm her sister down but Alleria put her hand on Vereesa's chest and kept her at distance, signalizing her to not do anything.

Vereesa was not surprised by her reaction. Alleria had always been the most emotional of the Windrunner siblings. Sylvanas had always been the calmest. She had always managed to control her emotions while Alleria had often allowed her emotions to take over. Alleria didn't even try to calm herself down. She didn't care what her anger will let her do. She was so angry that she didn't care what would happen to the High Inquisitor.

Kelrian couldn't allow Alleria to do something she would regret later so he stepped in front of her, blocking her vision on Whitemane. Alleria's anger didn't diminish but at least she didn't throw anything at the priestess. Kelrian had put his hands on her shoulders, preventing her from running around him and pouncing on Whitemane.

With the help of Vereesa, he managed to convince her to sit back on her seat. Alleria tapped angrily on the armrests and often bumped her feet against the legs of her chair but she didn't attack or insult Whitemane. It was a real challenge for her to not do anything but she managed to keep control over herself. She didn't know how long she would be able to do that. One more comment could cause her to freak out. Everyone was aware of that. Even Whitemane who had a wide grin on her lips.

Once again, it was Rhonin's turn to speak. He wanted nothing more than preventing a brawl. "High Inquisitor...Please...Just like you, we want to defeat the Scourge..." Rhonin was not able to finish speaking because Whitemane interrupted him.

"Not only the scourge should be eradicated. I want to extinguish all undead creatures. Every undead creature shall be purged." She pointed a clawed finger at Kelrian. "I will begin with your whore of a wife and not stop until the lover of that bitch is dead too." She pointed her index finger at Jaina, who was only able to hold back with great effort.

The look on Kelrian's face was grim. He was anything but pleased with the High Inquisitor's last statement. He wished he could just kill her but he knew he wouldn't solve the problem with the Scarlet Crusade that way. Killing Whitemane will only give her fanatic followers a reason to attack the Alliance. She had total immunity as long as she didn't physically hurt anyone. They couldn't even take her captive. Kelrian would love to do that but he knew that King Varian and Rhonin wouldn't allow that. Their honour codex wouldn't allow them to lock up the High Inquisitor in a dark cell.

"I hope you are aware that we won't tolerate this. We will assist the Forsaken if your men attack them. You don't want us as your enemies, Whitemane. Trust me about this," Kelrian said in a low but strict voice.

"I'm not scared of you. You will soon realize how wrong you are. The Forsaken are not your allies. They claim to be free but in truth, they still work for the Lich King. They trick you and want to lure you into a trap. You are just too dumb to realize that. The Banshee Bitch charmed all of you with her pretty face and her sexy body. I have no doubts she offered her body to each of you in exchange for joining the Alliance. Remember my words. You will soon realize that I knew from the beginning that this bitch is planning something evil. You are fools if you think that the Forsaken are our allies." A provoking grin could be seen on Whitemane's lips.

"Anyway, I said all I wanted to say. Don't you dare to assist the Forsaken, otherwise, we will be forced to attack you too." With that, she turned around and left the room with her companions.

Just like everyone else, Kelrian was silent as he stared at the spot where Whitemane had previously stood. It was clearly visible that he was upset. Very upset. Not only had Whitemane not allowed them to try to convince her that her opinion about the Forsaken was wrong, but she also had insulted everyone except for Rhonin and Varian. Her behaviour had been more than just inappropriate and insulting. It had been inexcusable.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, noticing the similar expressions on the faces of the others. They were shocked, upset and angry at Whitemane. Alleria still clenched her fists and Vereesa spoke soothing words to her, trying to calm her down. Her attempts were not as effective as she had hoped. Alleria was still furious. Rhonin and Varian were the only ones who were not as upset as everyone else. They were still shocked and mad but they weren't furious.

Nobody said anything. The unpleasant silence had lasted for nearly ten minutes as Rhonin finally ended it by clearing his throat. "Well...This was not the outcome I have hoped for...This is a..."

"Catastrophe," completed his wife.

Rhonin looked at her, noticing that he felt a lot calmer suddenly. Looking at his wife, at the woman he loved more than anyone else, helped him to get his anger under control. "You are right about that."

"So...," began Varian. He paused for a few seconds before he continued. "What do we do now?"

"That's a good question," said Rhonin.

"We cannot allow the Scarlet Crusade to attack the Forsaken and conquer their territories," replied Kelrian strictly.

It was Alleria's turn to speak. "We agreed to help any kingdom that is getting attacked. We have to help the Forsaken and attack the Scarlet Crusade if necessary. Even if we have to burn the Scarlet Monastery to the ground to stop Whitemane, I wouldn't care. If she dares to attack my sister's people, I will end her. I will end her myself if I have to. No one who dares to attack my sister shall get away unpunished."

Alleria was still upset but Vereesa was a lot calmer than her. Her voice was not as loud and aggressive as Alleria's. "I agree with my sister but I wouldn't go so far and burn the bases of the Scarlet Crusade to stop Whitemane. The more soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade we kill, the fewer soldiers they will have to fight the Scourge. We have to find a way to prevent Whitemane from attacking Sylvanas' people without having to kill most of her followers. There must be a way..."

"I won't shrink back from attacking the Scarlet Crusade if they dare to set foot on Sylvanas' territory and attack her people," told Kelrian. "As long as Whitemane does nothing, I won't attack her. But if she does...Quel'Thalas will attack the Scarlet Monastery and we won't return without Whitemane and Grand Crusader Dathrohan. It doesn't matter if we get them dead or alive. We need to get rid of their corrupted leadership. I don't care what happens to this b...woman."

"I wish we could solve this problem the diplomatic way but we already tried and failed miserably. It's impossible to convince High Inquisitor Whitemane or Grand Crusader Dathrohan to not attack the Forsaken. She didn't even give us the chance to tell her all the arguments we gathered. I'm not a fan of violence but I fear we have no other choice than answering violence with violence," Jaina said quietly.

"I agree with Lady Proudmoore," said Kelrian. "We have to signalize the Scarlet Crusade that we won't tolerate any of their attacks against one of our members. We have to send soldiers to Tirisfal Glades. To Brill, to Agamand Mills and to the Bulwark. These are the most important places besides Undercity. We should also send soldiers to patrol the area and check the farmsteads and other smaller places were soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade could hide. I will discuss the deployment of the troops with Sylvanas. She knows Tirisfal Glades better than any of us. She knows of more places where lots of soldiers are needed."

Rhonin sighed loudly. "I can't believe that we have to fight the Scarlet Crusade... But it seems we have no other choice..."

"We don't have to kill all of them if we manage to capture their leadership. Without them, they are nothing," said Jaina.

"You might be right about that but something tells me that removing their leadership won't stop these fanatics," Alleria said worriedly.

"We shall see. I will go to Undercity and inform Sylvanas about everything. Maybe she has an idea of what we should do. I will report to you as soon as I have talked to her," Kelrian said.

"Do that," said Rhonin. "We will meet again soon."

Kelrian nodded. "We will," he said and left the room quickly.


	51. Undercity

Kelrian stepped out of the portal and checked his surroundings. He was in the middle of a room full of portals which led to other places. He could recognize Silvermoon, Stormwind, Ironforge, Outland and many other places on the blue slightly blurred surfaces of the portals. He spotted several Forsaken guards and mages in the room whose gazes rested on the portals.

The gazes of some of them fell on him, neutral or pejorative lookscould be seen on their faces. Some of the Forsaken didn't seem to be happy about his arrival. He could only assume that these Forsaken didn't like the living, otherwise, he had no idea why they were regarding him like this.

Kelrian didn't pay any attention to them and walked out of the portal room. He saw two abominations that stood in front of the entrance. They turned their heads and looked at him as soon as they noticed his presence. They stared at him but did nothing else. They might not be the smartest undead creatures but they were smart enough to know that Kelrian was a welcome guest in Undercity even though he had never visited the city before.

It was the first time he was there. The first time he smelled Undercity's foul stench. It was far worse than Sylvanas' stench. The spell that helped him bear the stench of death was not strong enough, so he had to cast a much stronger version of it on himself.

He took a deep breath as soon as the stench vanished. Kelrian followed the corridor and checked his surroundings as soon as he left it. He stood on a stone bridge which led to a platform on which a strange building stood. The platform was surrounded by a green glowing liquid which looked more like slime than water. He assumed it was best to not come in contact with this unknown substance.

He spotted an undead human in front of the building. It was a bald man whose skin was as pale as chalk. One of his eyes was yellow the other was white. It was a glass eye. The man's gaze didn't leave Kelrian, not even as he walked past him.

Kelrian walked around the building and crossed the next bridge, following the bordering path. He had never been in Undercity so he had no idea where he was going. Fortunately for him, Exadius guided him. He spoke to Kelrian, telling him where to go.

Kelrian came to the throne room eventually, spotting two dozen guards in front of it. He recognized one of them. It was Sylvanas' uncle Zelastor who nodded at him but didn't say anything. He gave his men an order by making a gesture. The dreadguards stepped aside and allowed Kelrian to enter the throne room.

The first creatures he caught sight off were Nathanos and Zetai who had belonged to his best friends in life. The two dark rangers looked at him but remained silent. Their expressions didn't change, their red eyes rested on him. Kelrian tilted his head a little, regarding them from head to toe. Their uniforms looked similar to the ranger uniforms they had worn in life. The only difference was the colour. Their uniforms were pitch-black instead of blue.

"It has been a long time," Kelrian said to his former friends.

"It has," was all Zetai said in return.

Nathanos remained silent and regarded Kelrian with narrowed eyes.

_This human doesn't seem to like you. I wonder why._ Exadius said to Kelrian.

Kelrian was about to say something to Zetai as he heard very quiet footsteps coming from behind. He turned around and spotted Sylvanas who stood barely more than three feet away from him. Her crimson eyes were widened in surprise, telling Kelrian that she had not expected to meet him in the throne room. Her eyes showed not only surprise but also joy. She was glad that he was here. She made a step closer to him and put her hand on his chest but she removed it a few seconds later and looked around insecurely.

She noticed that almost everyone in the room was looking at them. Mixed expressions could be seen on the faces of the Forsaken. Neutral, suspicious, curious but also grim looks could be seen on the faces of her subjects. It seemed that not everyone was happy about Kelrian's presence. She also noticed the sinister look on Nathanos' face.

She could only assume that he was jealous of Kelrian. Nathanos had loved her in life and he still loved her in death. She was aware that his feelings for her had not changed. She still remembered the many attempts he had made to win her over. After Kelrian had been declared as death, Nathanos had become more obtrusive. He had tried anything to win her favour but she had rejected all of his attempts. She had been loyal to Kelrian even though she had believed that he had died in Northrend.

Sylvanas looked back at Kelrian, noticing the curious look on his face. He was wondering why Sylvanas was hesitating. He assumed that she didn't feel secure enough to hug and kiss him in front of her people. He knew that she had days where she was very confident but she also had days where she was very insecure. Mood swings were not unusual in her case. He guessed that she wouldn't hesitate to kiss him if they would be alone. Sylvanas was so nervous that she had not even greeted him yet.

Kelrian looked at the Forsaken around them, looking back at Sylvanas once he had seen the impressions on the faces of every Forsaken. "It's good to see you, Sylvanas."

He had considered for a moment if he should be formal and not give the Forsaken the impression that they were close. But he had decided against it because he assumed that most of them already knew about them. The Forsaken who had joined them in the attack on Deatholme had witnessed how they had behaved around each other. It was very likely that most inhabitants of Undercity had heard of their close relationship.

Those around them seemed to have different opinions about them. Some didn't seem to care about their relationship while others weren't happy about it. He could only assume that they didn't like him because he was alive. He had heard that not all Forsaken like the living. It's not unlikely that these people don't want their queen to be together with a living creature.

Kelrian didn't care what these Forsaken thought about him and his relationship with Sylvanas. Nevertheless, he didn't want to give them more reasons to dislike him, so he decided against kissing Sylvanas in front of everyone. He thought that it was best if he would wait until they would be alone.

"It's good to see you too," she said eventually.

"I just came from Dalaran... The meeting with Whitemane didn't occur as we have expected...You need to know what happened. Can we talk in private?"

Sylvanas turned her head, looking at Verena and Varimathras who were regarding her curiously. She averted her gaze and looked at Nathanos and Zetai. Nathanos' eyes were still narrowed and rested on Kelrian while Zetai's expression was neutral. The arrival of his long-lost friend did not seem to interest him.

Sylvanas looked back at Kelrian, noticing that his expression hadn't changed at all. She gave him a nod and signalized him to follow her. Kelrian did as he was told and walked with her, ignoring the stares he got from Nathanos and other Forsaken.

Both of them didn't exchange a single word as they left the throne room and followed the course of the corridor that led them to a huge door in front of which five dreadguards were standing. They saluted to Sylvanas and stepped aside,mixed expressions could be seen on their faces as they looked at her companion. Kelrian was not surprised by their reactions. His gaze rested on the guards for a few moments before it fell back on Sylvanas who pushed the door open and pointed inside. Kelrian let his gaze wander as soon as he entered the room.

It looked similar to her private room in the headquarters of the Farstriders but its colour scheme was much darker. There were no blue or golden colours in the room. Grey, black and dark brown were the only colours which could be found there. Even the blanket and the pillows on her king-sized bed were dark brown.

Kelrian's gaze fell on Sylvanas who regarded him. He could see nervousness reflected in her eyes but also curiosity. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and wrapped strands of her hair around her fingers while she held his gaze. None of them said anything for nearly five minutes. The silence was unpleasant. Unpleasant and unbearable.

Kelrian parted his lips, wanting to say something but Sylvanas was one step ahead. The insecurity and nervousness had vanished out of her eyes and had been replaced by courage. She enclosed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his upper body, stepping on her tiptoes. She pressed her lips on his, closing her eyes in relief as she noticed that he returned her kiss. The kiss was not as passionate as the ones they usually shared but it was good enough to satisfy both of them for the moment.

"I missed you so much," the Banshee Queen said and put her head on her lover's chest, inhaling his lovely scent. Kelrian put his humanoid hand on her back, caressing it softly. "I missed you too, my love." He put a kiss on her forehead. "How are you?"

"Better now that you are here," she said quietly.

A small smile appeared on his lips. "How are things going in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades?"

"I'm busier than ever and more and more people are coming to seek my advice. Every day is a stressful day but I'm used to that. The Scarlet Crusade didn't attack us the last weeks but the Scourge did. They only sent smaller groups and scouts but we got rid of all of them. It's only a matter of time until something big happens. The Scourge and the Scarlet Crusade are planning something... Something tells me they do."

"About the Scarlet Crusade..."

Sylvanas made a few steps backwards and looked at him, noticing the small amount of worry in his eyes. He had not seen him worried since his return, so she was wondering what had wondered what had been decided during the meeting with the Scarlet Crusade. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about what he was about to tell her. Nevertheless, she was curious to find out what had been decided.

"Tell me everything."

Kelrian took a deep breath, considering where to start. "We expected Whitemane to be a reasonable person but it turned out that she's not. She arrived two hours late and the first thing she did was to insult our people. Except for insults and threats, she didn't say much else. She insulted our people, your sisters and you...She even insulted Lady Proudmoore. I thought that the asshole Garithos was the biggest racist I ever have seen but I realized that Whitemane is as bad as him, if not even worse..."

Sylvanas was silent, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face. She was angry but also worried at the same time. She didn't respond to him so he continued. "I have no idea why she even came to Dalaran. She had no intention to listen to our arguments. She just came to insult us and tell us that she won't stop until all undead creatures are extinguished."

"She won't stop attacking my people," Sylvanas said quietly and clenched her left fist.

Kelrian put a hand on her shoulder. "You and your people are her first target, then she will deal with the Scourge."

Sylvanas' narrowed eyes reflected pure anger. "This bitch will regret having chosen me as her enemy. I will kill her myself if I have to. I will smash her ugly face against a wall until nothing but a bloody mess will be left, then I will kill her slowly and painfully."

Kelrian put his other hand on her other shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Calm down, Sylvanas," he said in a soothing voice. Her eyes still reflected pure anger and hatred for quite some time but then it changed. The negative emotions vanished, her gaze softened and became neutral eventually. Looking at him had calmed Sylvanas. She was aware that she always felt a lot calmer when he was around. She felt better and much happier. She didn't feel lonely, sad or depressive. He had a positive effect on her. She didn't feel like a monster when he looked at her and smiled. She was happy when he touched her and kissed her.

Sometimes, she had the feeling that she didn't deserve him. Sometimes, she felt unworthy of him. She mostly felt that way when he was not around. When he was around, she rarely felt like that. She was wondering from time to time if she was good for him and if a living woman wouldn't be better for him. Kelrian was too handsome for a corpse like her. From time to time, she even doubted that she would have a positive effect on him in the long run.

At this very moment, she was conflicted. Hundreds of thoughts came in her mind. She even caught herself having inner conversations with herself. She was considering if she was a good choice as a partner for him. She had her doubts. Doubts about herself and her future with Kelrian. She wondered if it was possible that their relationship would last forever. She was having a wild conversation with herself, seeing things from different perspectives.

She wasn't able to finish the conversation. Her doubts were dispelled as Kelrian pressed her against himself and kissed her passionately. Feeling his warm lips against her cold ones stunned her and allowed Kelrian to part her lips and sneak his tongue in her mouth. He explored every reachable corner of her mouth, putting one hand on the back of her head while the other caressed her left hip.

Sylvanas didn't think about anything as she returned the kiss and inserted her tongue into his mouth. The worry, the doubt and all the other negative emotions had vanished in the meantime. She no longer knew why she had felt so sad a few moments ago. She had no idea why she had been so insecure. She felt more secure than ever, knowing that Kelrian loved her. Being loved by him was more important to her than anything else. As long as she had him, she was happy.

Sylvanas had no idea how much time had passed as Kelrian pulled away. He was breathing heavily, his green eye stared at her. His arms were still wrapped around her and their bodies were still pressed against each other. She noticed a slight tingling sensation between her legs but she ignored it, knowing they had important things to discuss. They had no time to do more than kissing. They had to discuss what they should do about the Scarlet Crusade.

Kelrian put his right hand on her cheek, caressing it softly. "Are you okay?"

Sylvanas nodded. "I am."

"You seem troubled."

Sylvanas sighed and averted her gaze for a few moments. "I was. There are things that worry me."

"Things?"

Sylvanas was silent for a few moments. "The Scarlet Crusade, the Lich King, our daughter and so much more... I'm worried about you and our family."

"I can take care of myself and I'm sure so does the rest of our family," he responded and caressed her other cheek.

Sylvanas wiped the hair out of his face, staring into both eyes. "I know but still... The Lich King is unpredictable. Only a fool underestimates him and his forces. Anything is possible in these dark times... I know you are strong but you are not invincible, are you?"

Kelrian shook his head. "I'm not. Even my power has limits. Fortunately, I know them. I know how far I can go."

Worry appeared in Sylvanas' eyes. "Promise me to stay safe and not to take any unnecessary risks."

Kelrian put his hand under her chin and lifted it a little. "I promise." He sealed this promise with a kiss which lasted longer than the previous ones.

"Good," said the Banshee Queen after the kiss had ended.

Kelrian cleared his throat. "I told the others to send troops to Tirisfal Glades. I told them that we will meet again. You should join the meeting and tell them where you need more soldiers."

"I have no idea when the Scarlet Crusade will attack but I doubt they will need much time to organise an attack. It's not unlikely that Whitemane has gathered her soldiers already. Our time is limited. We should meet the other leaders of the Alliance tomorrow. Until then, I will speak to my advisors. I would be grateful if you join me. Your knowledge and experience are always useful."

"I won't leave your side, Sylvanas. I will stay with you as long as you need me."

"I always need you by my side but we both know that it's only a matter of time until we are getting separated again." Kelrian noticed a small amount of sadness in her voice.

"In a perfect world, you would still be alive and I would never leave your side. But we are not in a perfect world. We live in a cruel world in which the strongest rule. The fittest survive. All we can do is to ally ourselves with others and become the fittest, otherwise, the Scourge will consume us. The world is dark and full of terrors and we have to find a way to survive and overcome these terrors."

"That sounds very pessimistic."

A weak smile could be seen on Kelrian's lips. "Realistic," he whispered.

Sylvanas put her hands on his cheeks, caressing them. "We will get through this. If we stand together and work with the other kingdoms, I'm sure we will overcome our enemy. We will defeat the Scourge one day and kill Arthas."

Kelrian nodded. "Arthas will pay for his crimes. He will pay for everything he did to us, to our family, our people and our kingdom. I will kill him with my own hands if I have to."

Sylvanas kissed his cheek. "I would love to see that."

They shared another passionate kiss, staring into each other's eyes when it ended.

"We should meet with my advisors," Sylvanas said after a while.

Kelrian nodded. "Lead the way."

* * *

A silence lied in the cold air. No birds could be heard. No deer, wild boars or lynxes were in the near. No animals lived in the dead forests in Tirisfal Glades. The soil was grey, hard and infertile. There was no way that anything could grow there. Tirisfal Glades was a very dull area.

Kelrian averted his gaze from the dead forest and looked at his hands. His gaze fell on his wedding finger on which Sylvanas' wedding ring stuck. He played with it absent-mindedly. They had agreed on exchanging their rings when he would return to Undercity but they hadn't done it yet. They hadn't had the time for that. They had not been alone the rest of the day when he had come to Undercity. They had discussed with Sylvanas' advisers where and how many soldiers should be deployed to which places in order to prevent the Scarlet Crusade from advancing too far into Tirisfal Glades.

They had discussed for over twelve hours and then they had travelled to Dalaran to meet up with the other leaders of the Alliance. After the meeting, Kelrian had travelled to Brill. They had not had any time for themselves since they met up with her advisors. They had not been able to exchange the rings as they had agreed but Kelrian was sure they would do that as soon as they would have time.

Nearly a week had passed since he had last seen Sylvanas. He missed her so badly. He wished he could travel to Undercity and see her. He could do that but he knew it was not right. The leaders of the Alliance had requested him to remain in Brill and wait for further instructions. It was his task to watch over the town and the nearest outpost. It was his task to defend Brill in case the Scarlet Crusade would attack.

At the moment, he was not in Brill but in the outpost. He was checking if everything was alright there. Nearly two hundred Forsaken were stationed there but also a few dozen blood elves, night elves and humans. They got along with each other better than Kelrian had expected. Of course, there were always individuals who had a problem with the undead or the living in the case of the Forsaken, but overall, they got along with each other.

An unknown voice asked for him.

Kelrian turned around and looked at the owner of the voice. It was a young human man with short brown hair and a full beard. He wore armour made out of iron and a blue tabard which showed the crest of Stormwind. The head of a golden lion with a blue mane.

"What can I do for you, soldier..."

"Alexandros. My name is Alexandros Dius Woodpricker. But my friends call me Exandros Dius."

"Woodpricker...That's a very rare name. I never heard of your family before but that has nothing to say because I don't know many families from Stormwind. I only know the most popular ones."

"We are a small family without any relevance in politics or in public **.** My father is a farmer and my mother is a bard," Exandros told.

"I assume your parents are proud of you. Soldiers are needed more than ever in these dark times."

A sad smile appeared on the human's lips. "I haven't seen them since I became a soldier two years ago. I haven't visited Stormwind since my unit was sent to the Eastern Plaguelands. We have been fighting the undead all day and night before we were ordered to Tirisfal Glades."

A frown appeared on Kelrian's forehead. "Haven't you asked for vacation? As far as I know, every soldier of Stormwind has the right to return home for two weeks. Every soldier needs time to rest. You won't do yourself a favour if you overexert yourself."

Exandros nodded. "I will think about your words. Maybe I will ask my superior if I can go home after we dealt with these traitorous fanatics. I can't believe that they are sabotaging the Alliance. I can't believe that they are too stupid to realize that the Forsaken are not our enemies."

Kelrian shrugged. "There are enough dumb creatures in this brutal world. To be honest, I don't think that every member of the Scarlet Crusade is that dumb. They just follow their leaders blindly...It wouldn't surprise me if Whitemane's revealing outfit has something to do with their _loyalty and obedience_."

"Your assumption doesn't sound too bad," said Exandros.

"Anyway. What do you want to tell me, Exandros?"

"Oh, yeah... I almost forgot what I wanted to say. I wanted to inform you that I spotted the scouts you sent out. I saw them from afar. I have no doubt that they reached the outpost in the meantime."

Kelrian gave him a thankful nod. "Alright, let's find out what they have to say."

Kelrian headed to the outpost's entrance, spotting the five scouts he had sent out a few days ago. He walked over to them and greeted them.

"What did you see?" Kelrian asked.

"We saw thousands of soldiers leaving the Scarlet Monastery. They travelled together for a while but then they split up into three groups. We are certain that one of these groups marches towards Brill. One group went to the north while the last group went to the south," explained Mel'ron who was the highest-ranked scout among the sin'dorei.

"The second group will probably move to the base at Agamand Mills and the third group will either march to Balnir Farmstead or to the Bulwark. Seems they want to conquer our outposts. It wouldn't surprise me if they plan to retake the areas in Tirisfal Glades and then attack Undercity," replied Kelrian.

"Our brothers and sisters must be warned," said a Forsaken guard who stood not far away from Kelrian.

Kelrian looked at the female. "Don't worry, soldier. We will warn those who guard these places."

His gaze fell on Mel'ron and the other scouts. "How much time do we have?"

Mel'ron shrugged. "I'm not sure. The Scarlet Crusade is travelling on foot which means they are a lot slower than us. I think they will need at least four or five days to reach Brill and Balnir Farmstead. They will need more than a week to reach Agamand Mills."

"You need to inform the leaders of the bases and outposts. Ride as fast as you can and tell them what you saw."

Mel'ron nodded. "As you wish, Commander."

"Move out."

The scouts didn't hesitate and climbed on their horses, leaving the outpost as soon as possible.

"What will you do now, Commander?" asked Exandros.

"I need to go to Brill and work out a plan. You will stay here with the others and wait for further orders. I will tell your superior what to do as soon as I have a plan."

Exandros nodded. "See you soon, Commander."

Kelrian gave him a small smile. "See you soon, soldier."


	52. Secrets

Screams, shouts and war cries echoed through the air. Spells were cast, arrows flew and steel jangled. Blood flowed, limps were separated, soldiers from both sides were badly wounded or died. The floor was covered by blood, body parts, corpses, weapons and armour pieces. But the battle was far from over.

Kelrian was standing in the middle of the carnage. Humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, demons and Forsaken were fighting against the fanatic humans who wanted to purge the undead by any means. Hundreds of soldiers from both sides had already fallen and more will die before the end of the battle.

For Kelrian, the battle and the losses both sides were suffering were totally unnecessary. If it was up to him, he wouldn't fight the Scarlet Crusade. He would live with them at peace but the Scarlet Crusade saw things differently. They wanted to extinguish all Forsaken and they would kill everyone who would get in their way.

They had to be stopped and Kelrian would do anything in his power to do that. He would do anything necessary to protect Sylvanas and her people. He couldn't allow the Scarlet Crusade to be victorious. He didn't want to kill them because they were also fighting the Scourge but he had no other choice. As long as the Scarlet Crusade wouldn't stop their campaign in Tirisfal Glades, he would have to kill more and more soldiers.

He felt no joy in killing these fanatic humans but he did it nevertheless, knowing that it was necessary. Dozens of humans had fallen by his hand since the beginning of the battle. Men and women of different ages. Some had been younger, some had been older. Their age or gender didn't matter to him. Anyone who would want to kill the Forsaken had to die.

Some of those he had killed had not been older than twenty. He assumed that lots of soldiers had lost family members or even their entire families in the Third War. He assumed that more than half of them still had relatives. He didn't want to imagine how their relatives would feel when they would hear about the deaths of their sons and daughters, of their brothers and sisters or of their fathers and mothers.

Kelrian had lost his older brother in the Second War, his mother and his younger siblings were declared dead. They had not been seen again since the fall of Silvermoon. He was certain that they were either truly dead or had been turned to servants of the Scourge.

He could imagine how the families of the soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade would feel when they would hear about the outcome of the battle. They would be devasted but there was nothing he could do for them. He had not chosen to fight the Scarlet Crusade. The leadership of the Scarlet Crusade were the ones who had started this unnecessary conflict. High Inquisitor Whitemane and Grand Crusader Dathrothan were the ones who were responsible for hundreds of wasted lives. The soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade will die in vain due to their leadership.

Kelrian struck down another male soldier who was too young to die. He guessed he had been nothing more than a recruit, judging by his fighting skills. He had not been very fast and agile and the way he had swung his sword had signalized Kelrian that he had not had much experience with the sword. The Scarlet Crusade was sending inexperienced recruits into battle. He was wondering if the leadership had done that because of desperation or because they were insane.

It wouldn't surprise him if the leadership was indeed insane. They were sacrificing the lives of their followers for nothing. The Scarlet Crusade couldn't win this battle and they couldn't win this conflict. There was no way they would be able to defeat the Alliance. All they would achieve would be weakening the Alliance and themselves. No one except for the Scourge would profit because of this unnecessary conflict. The more soldiers of the Alliance and soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade fell, the better the chances of victory for the Scourge became.

Another human fell by Kelrian's sword. An older paladin who had approached him alone. Kelrian's gaze rested on the man's corpse before it wandered to his runeblade.

Dratk'tar, the Sword of the Abyss.

That was its name.

It was a runeblade that had been forged by Exadius millennia ago. After Exadius' sword, it was the strongest runeblade that had been created by the nathrezim. For the first time, Kelrian noticed that the sixth runic symbol, which had stopped glowing when he had erased the three abominations in Deatholme, was glowing again.

It seemed that killing nearly a hundred human soldiers and lots undead had charged the sword. He could draw power from the sword for another powerful technique. He could cast six spells which would be as powerful as the spell he used in Deatholme.

He could cast the certain spell at this very moment but he didn't. Too many of his allies were around him, so he didn't plan to use that technique. There were enough other techniques Exadius' children had taught him but he knew he wouldn't need them in this battle. They were superior in number and the fighting spirit of the Scarlet Crusade was getting weaker and weaker. It was only a matter of time until they will realize that they can't win and the first soldiers will try to flee.

Kelrian had no idea how long the battle had lasted. It felt as if he had fought for years for him but he was sure that they had only fought for a few days at maximum. The battle was finally over. As expected, they had been victorious. Most soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade had fallen, a few dozen had fled and eight soldiers had been taken captive.

Everywhere he looked, he saw corpses and separated body parts. The battle had been bloody and brutal, many soldiers of the Alliance had fallen. Too many for his liking. He had to make sure that the still recognizable corpses will be brought to their relatives. Their families deserved to see the bodies.

Kelrian remained in the middle of the battlefield for half an hour before he helped to pick up the corpses and put them on wooden wagons. Collecting the dead took a few hours and the journey to Brill was not short either. He arrived at the base after a few hours, noticing that the priests and doctors were already taking care of the wounded. Necromancers reattached severed limbs to the bodies of their owners.

Executor Zygand, a Forsaken with very pale skin and messy black hair came to him. He wore solid armour and a blue tabard on which the crest of the Forsaken was sewn. He stopped in front of Kelrian and looked at him for a few moments before he regarded the corpses on the various wooden wagons. "Seems you were victorious," he said in a husky voice.

"We were. We killed most of the soldiers they sent, a few dozen managed to flee but we took eight of them captive."

"Let me guess, it will be my task to get as many useful pieces of information out of them as possible."

"Yes."

The executor's voice became much quieter. "Am I allowed to torture them if necessary?"

Kelrian turned his head, checking his surroundings. He realized that no creature was close enough to be able to hear them. "I doubt they will give us any information voluntarily. We need to know what they are planning next. Do anything necessary to get the information but don't cripple them. Not like the last one you _interrogated_."

Zygand gave him a small nod. "As you wish, Commander." He walked away quickly.

Kelrian walked to the middle of the base, spotting familiar creatures he had seen during the battle. Velsana and Vissia were sitting on crates while two sin'dorei priestesses were treating their wounds. Unlike other soldiers, they were not heavily injured. They had only suffered cuts and grazes. Marcus, on the other hand, had a broken arm and a bruise on the back of his head. A kaldorei druid was taking care of him.

Kelrian saw Exandros and Danara, who was still disguised, talking. He was too far away from them to hear them but he had the impression that they seemed to know each other. They seem to be pretty close. Kelrian regarded them for a few moments before he looked at the statue in the middle of the square. It was a statue of Sylvanas which was ten times as tall as her. It was pretty accurate and reflected Sylvanas' beauty perfectly.

Kelrian's heart ached for a moment as he regarded the statue. He missed Sylvanas. He missed her so badly. He had no idea when he would see her again. He assumed he would see her as soon as they dealt with the Scarlet Crusade. But he had no idea how long they would need to take care of them.

On the other hand, it was not unlikely that he would have to go to Dalaran for another meeting sooner or later. He would be able to see her again that way. He hoped that such a meeting will occur. Otherwise, he would have to wait in Brill for further instructions and could only see her if he could be sure that the Scarlet Crusade wouldn't invade Sylvanas' territory again.

Alleria and Sylvanas had requested him to take care of Brill and he wouldn't go anywhere else as long as he didn't receive the order to do so. He would have to wait and see how things would turn out.

Kelrian walked to the largest building in Brill and entered it. Like all the other buildings in Brill, the interior design looked dreary. Faded paintings hung on the walls which were as grey as the hard stone floor. The place radiated sadness and hopelessness. A normal humanoid creature would go crazy if they would have to live in this place for a long time. But Kelrian was not a normal humanoid creature. The dull furnishing didn't bother him at all. He knew he wouldn't be there forever and even if he would, he wouldn't mind. The awful look of the interior design didn't matter to him.

Kelrian nodded at the innkeeper, a female Forsaken with the name Renee, as he crossed her. She nodded in return but said nothing to him. He met more Forsaken before he climbed the wooden staircase and arrived on the second floor. He didn't need long to come to his office in front of which two dreadguards were standing. They greeted him and opened the door for him. Kelrian greeted them in return and then entered his office which interior design didn't look any different from any other room in the building.

Kelrian walked over to his desk and sat down on the chair, opening the highest drawer. He took paper, quill and ink out of the drawer and dipped the tip of the quill into the inkpot. He wrote about the course and the outcome of the battle, mentioned how many soldiers they had lost and how many they had killed. Of course, he wrote about those who had escaped and those who had been captured. He waited until the ink was dry, then he put the report in an envelope and sealed it. He called for one of the Forsaken that guarded his office.

A bald Forsaken entered his office and lowered his head in respect. "What can I do for you, Commander?"

"I want you to give this letter to one of our messengers and tell him to bring it to Lady Sylvanas. Would you do that for me, Cedrick?"

The guard nodded. "I will, Commander."

Kelrian gave him a small smile. "Good. Dark Lady watches over you."

Cedrik nodded and took the envelope out of Kelrian's hand, leaving the room a few moments later.

The following days had been uneventful. Kelrian had remained in Brill in case that the Scarlet Crusade would attack again. Fortunately, they didn't. Kelrian was glad that they didn't because he didn't want to kill more humans. The more soldiers they would kill, the fewer soldiers the Scarlet Crusade would have against the Scourge.

He hoped that the leadership would realize that they couldn't win against the Alliance. He hoped that they would realize that the Forsaken were neither evil nor their enemies. The longer the conflict with the Scarlet Crusade would endure, the more time, lives and resources would be wasted.

Kelrian stood in front of the window of his office and stared out of it. The sun had already set and it was dark outside but Kelrian was still able to see more than others. His eyes were better than the eyes of the average mortal creature, especially his golden eye, which was able to see much more than others could. He had no problem to recognize what was going on in Brill at this late hour. Forsaken guards were patrolling through Brill, others stood in front of the buildings or in other areas of the town. Nothing extraordinary was going on.

Kelrian was about to turn away from the window as he noticed five creatures coming in his sight. One of them was Zygand who looked very angry. Kelrian couldn't recognize the other Forsaken but he recognized the small creatures they were dragging with them. Two children. One of them was a human boy and the other was a sin'dorei girl. Both of them didn't look older than eight years and it was safe to say that they were scared.

Kelrian was wondering where these children came from, what they were doing in Brill and why they were so scared. He was wondering why the executor was so angry and why the other Forsaken were pulling on the children's arms and dragging them through the town.

Kelrian left his office and rushed through the corridor and down the stairs, leaving the building quickly. He hurried through the courtyard and caught up to the three Forsaken before they reached the alchemy laboratory.

"What's going on?" Kelrian shouted.

The Forsaken stopped immediately and turned around, looking at their commander. None of them said anything. The only sounds which were hearable were the sobs of the children. Their faces were pale, their eyes were widened in terror and wet from crying. They were so scared that it was not unlikely that they had soiled their pants. Kelrian noticed that the children's gazes rested on him. He assumed they were hoping he would help them. They were too scared to speak but the begging looks on their faces were unmistakable.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at Zygand who looked annoyed. "Why are you dragging these children through the town and why do you bring them to the laboratory?"

The executor turned his head to check his surroundings. Kelrian did the same and noticed that there were no other creatures outside except the Forsaken. Besides him, the children were the only living creatures that were outside at this late hour. Even though Zygand was surrounded by his own kind, his voice was much quieter as if he feared that someone could hear him.

"These children saw too much..."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Too much? What do you mean?" His voice reflected irritation.

"They saw things they shouldn't have seen," said one of the two Forsaken Kelrian didn't know. It was a female with short grey hair.

"Could you be more specific?"

The other Forsaken, a female who wore a dark robe and had long black hair responded to him. "They saw me raising corpses."

Kelrian's eyes widened. "Corpses? Which corpses?"

The necromancer looked at Zygand nervously and the other female looked at the ground. Zygand's expression was neutral. He returned Kelrian's staring but said nothing.

"Which corpses?" Kelrian repeated, sounding louder this time.

"The corpses of the fallen Scarlet Crusade soldiers," responded Zygand quietly.

Irritation was reflected by Kelrian's face. "But I ordered you to burn them."

Zygand nodded but said nothing else.

Anger appeared in Kelrian's eyes as he tilted his head. "So you are trying to tell me that you disobeyed my orders, do I understand that correctly?"

"Well, it's not like this...," replied the necromancer.

"What is it then?" Kelrian asked slightly upset.

The necromancer looked at Zygand and gave him a signal. The executor hesitated for a few moments but then he gave Kelrian an answer. "The Dark Lady ordered us to not burn these corpses despite your orders. She told us to let it look like we burned them after we brought them away. She told us to wait a few days until their faces could no longer be recognized and then raise them."

"I was in the middle of the ritual as these brats showed up and saw what I was doing," explained the necromancer.

Kelrian looked at the children, noticing that they looked more scared than before. They were shaking with fear. They were afraid what the Forsaken would do to them.

"And Sylvanas ordered this? Are you sure about that?"

The necromancer nodded. "I wouldn't lie to you. I wouldn't do that on my own. Raising them is wrong but I do everything the Dark Lady wants from me."

"I told the Dark Lady often enough that we need more soldiers. The Scarlet Crusade killed many of our brothers and sisters. Too many of us died in the past years. That way, we can make up for the losses," said the other female.

"If it's Sylvanas' order then I won't judge you but that doesn't mean that you can treat these children like this and do whatever you planned to do with them," said Kelrian strictly.

Zygand tilted his head a little. "They saw too much. We cannot allow them to tell their families what they saw. It's very likely that the word spreads quickly and the other leaders of the Alliance will hear of that. We can't allow that. Lady Sylvanas' orders were clear. No one should find out about what we do."

"Well, now I know about it."

Zygand's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't tell the other leaders, would you?"

Kelrian shook his head. "Of course not. I wouldn't do anything that would cause problems for Sylvanas or foil her plans."

Zygand looked less troubled than before. "At least that."

"What have you planned to do with the kids?"

Zygand pointed at the laboratory. "The alchemist of the Royal Apothecary Society created a prototype of a potion that makes you forget things."

"Does it work?"

"You have to ask the alchemists but I assume that they didn't test it often enough."

"So it's not unlikely that it doesn't work properly?" Kelrian asked.

"Well... You could say that...," replied Zygand quietly.

"And what would you do if it doesn't work?"

Zygand was silent for a few moments but then he made an unambiguous gesture. Kelrian could not allow them to kill the children if the portion wouldn't work.

"That's not an option, Executor. I know you like to kill people but they are too young to die. They are just children...Think about it."

"We can't allow them to tell anyone what they have seen," Zygand said insistently.

"I know. I will take care of them. Let them be my problem."

Zygand raised the only eyebrow he had left and gave Kelrian an irritated look. He regarded him for a few moments, noticing the seriousness and determination in his eyes. He nodded eventually and gave the females a signal. They let go of the children who were too stunned by fear to run away.

Kelrian made a gesture, signalizing the Forsaken to go away and do what they had been ordered to do. The females nodded and walked away quickly, only Zygand stayed a few moments longer. He said nothing while he regarded Kelrian and the children. Kelrian's gaze fell on the executor, noticing the grim look on his face. Zygand turned around eventually and walked away.

Kelrian looked at the children, noticing that they were still scared but they were not in a panic. Kelrian squatted down and wiped the hair out of his face, revealing his golden eye. The children's gazes fell on the eye. The golden eye started to glow much brighter but not bright enough to dazzle them. They started into the eye and relaxed, not saying anything. They were no longer scared but curious.

"You will forget what you have seen. You will forget the Forsaken who were performing a ritual. You will forget the corpses you have seen. You will forget that you have been here as soon as we leave this place." Kelrian's voice was barely louder than a whisper but the children were still able to understand him. Kelrian realized that his spell had worked as they nodded at him.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Tom. Tom Brown," said the black-haired boy.

"I'm Vanas Cinderheart," replied the blonde sin'dorei girl.

Kelrian smiled at her. "Vanas, that's an interesting name."

"My mother named me after the famous Ranger-General."

"How old are you, Vanas?"

"Six."

"Six. So you were born a few months before the Third War."

Vanas nodded.

"And your parents live in this area?"

She nodded again. "My mother, Tom's father and we live in a small house near Brightwater Lake."

"So you are one of the few families which didn't leave this cursed land. That's very brave of your parents."

The children didn't say anything in return.

"Alright, I think it's time to bring you to your parents," Kelrian said and covered his eye with his hair. He knew he didn't have to do it because lots of people already knew about it. There was no point in hiding it but he did it nevertheless. It was like an old habit which he couldn't get rid of.

Tom and Vanas nodded at him. Kelrian got up and offered them his hands. They took them and found themselves in a new location a few seconds later. They stood near a wide lake which surrounded a small island. Tall isolated trees were scattered all over the area.

Kelrian looked at the children. "This is Brightwater Lake. Now you have to show me the way to your house. You will tell your parents that I found you here. Is that clear?"

Tom and Vanas nodded.

"Good, guide me to your house."

After nearly an hour, they came to a small wooden house. It was made out of solid wood and looked very stable. Kelrian was sure that the door and the walls would withstand for a while if someone would try to get into the house. The windows, on the other hand, wouldn't stop any stranger for long. The glasses appeared to be pretty thin. Any intruder would be able to break them with little effort.

The area was not very safe. Scourge minions, bats and wolves were roaming around the lake. They were not numerous but they were still there and pretty dangerous. He could only hope that the children's parents knew how to defend themselves.

Kelrian and the children set foot on the veranda and stepped to the door. Kelrian let go of their hands and knocked at the door, regarding it expectantly. The door was opened a few moments later by a sin'dorei woman who looked very worried. Her hair was as red as fire, her green eyes were wet from crying and her skin was very pale.

Her eyes rested on Kelrian for a few seconds and then fell on the little ones. Her eyes widened in surprise. The sadness that was reflected by them was replaced by happiness. She went to her knees and hugged her child and then her stepchild. Kelrian's gaze fell on the middle-aged muscular man behind the woman who was as surprised and happy as her. He wrapped his arms around the woman and the children, tears of joy ran down his cheeks.

Kelrian regarded them silently, not minding they were sitting there and hugging each other for nearly half an hour. The parents got up eventually and thanked him.

Kelrian smiled at them. "It was nothing really. I saw them wandering around at this late hour, so I went to them and brought them to you. I didn't want anything to happen to them."

"That's very kind of you, Commander. We are grateful that you brought them back. We are sorry that our children bothered you and wasted your time. We told them to not go too far away from the house but it seemed that they had other plans... We will make sure that they will be punished."

"Make them understand what they did wrong but don't punish them too hard. As a kid, I was very curious and left my parent's house often to explore the woods. They were not happy about it, and I was grounded very often. Make them understand how dangerous the woods are. How dangerous Tirisfal Glades is."

The woman nodded. "We will." She introduced herself as Lillia Cinderheart.

"It surprises me that you live in this dangerous place. Is there a certain reason why you live here?"

"We don't have enough money to get a house in a human or sin'dorei village. We are very poor and we had no idea where to go after the end of the Third War. We found this hut and decided to stay there. There are enough animals to hunt in the nearest forests. We have been living here for four years and have had no problems so far,"said the man who had introduced himself as Viktor Brown.

"I kill every creature that comes too close to us. My fire proves very useful against wild animals and the undead," told Lillia.

"I have no doubt that you know how to defend yourselves," Kelrian replied.

"Do you want to come in and eat and drink something? You can warm up in front of the fire I made. The nights are pretty cold in Tirisfal Glades. Especially in this area, it's very cold at night," said the mage.

Kelrian thought about her offer for a few moments. "Why not. But I won't stay for too long."

* * *

It was still dark outside when Kelrian left the hut. He had had a nice talk with Viktor and Lillia. They had talked about casual things before they had talked about the events of the past, the Alliance and the present. Kelrian had offered them to get them a small house in Quel'Thalas or any kingdom they wanted. He wanted them to leave this dangerous place to guarantee the safety of their children.

They had told Kelrian that they will think about it and inform him when they made a decision. Kelrian hoped they would accept his offer. He didn't want anything to happen to the children. He knew their parents were strong enough to defend them but there was still nothing which spoke for living in this dull area. It was best for the small stepfamily if they would move to an area which was much safer than Tirisfal Glades.

Kelrian was about to teleport back to Brill as he sensed auras. He turned his head and checked his surroundings but he couldn't see anyone. He had no idea to who the auras belonged but he realized that two powerful creatures were in his near.

"Show yourself. I noticed you, so there is no point in hiding," he shouted.

Two familiar creatures appeared next to the nearest tree. He recognized Danara and Exandros. Kelrian raised an eyebrow and frowned, giving them an irritated look. "Why did you follow me?"

"We wanted to talk to you about something but you weren't in your office, so we used a location spell and found you here," explained Exandros.

"We?" Kelrian asked irritated. "You are not even a mage."

The human chuckled. "I might not be a mage but I'm still able to cast a very powerful spell.

"You are?"

"I am. I'm not a normal soldier, in fact, I'm not a soldier at all. I'm not the man I claim to be."

"You are speaking in riddles."

"This form is just one of many I took to hide from Kil'jaeden's agents. But I no longer need to hide that's why I told you who I am, at least indirectly. I thought you would find out sooner that I'm not Al-EXAndros DIUS Woodpricker."

"Alexandros Dius... Alexandros Dius... Exandros Dius..." A thoughtful look could be seen on Kelrian's face as he muttered the name a few times while he started at the young man. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized what the human was trying to tell him. "EXAndros DIUS... Exadius..."

The human's lips formed a wide grin. "Exactly, partner. You finally realized who I am but I cannot hold that against you. The fact that you didn't realize who I am confirms that my disguise served its purpose. The ability to take on new identities is one of the biggest advantages of being a nathrezim. We can be anyone and can be anywhere without someone noticing. At least if we are careful enough," Exadius explained.

"I have to admit that I'm impressed. You even changed your aura. I would have never expected that you are not Exandros," praised Kelrian.

"I'm pretty good at being someone else, so are my children. None of your allies found out that they are demons. They still think that they are sin'dorei."

"Alright. You wanted to talk to me about something," Kelrian reminded.

Exadius nodded. "My daughter discovered that one of my former subjects, who still serves the Legion until this day, still plies his dreadful trade on Azeroth."

"A nathrezim on Azeroth, are you sure?" Kelrian asked surprised.

Exadius nodded. "It's Varimathras' brother Balnazzar."

The irritation could not only be clearly seen in Kelrian's face but also clearly heard in his voice. "Balnazzar? Are you sure? I thought Varimathras killed him on Sylvanas' order."

Exadius chuckled. His voice started to sound more and more demonic over time. "Demons can only truly die in the Twisting Nether. Every demon who dies outside the Twisting Nether returns to it and comes back after some time. Some faster than others. It depends on how powerful the demon is."

"You want to tell me that every nathrezim who died on Azeroth is not truly dead?" Kelrian asked shocked.

Exadius nodded. The skin of his human form had become much paler and the eye colour had started to change. It slowly changed from green to yellow. "You are right about that. Balnazzar, Detheroc, Tichondrius and even Mal'Ganis are still alive. They are somewhere in the universe and still work for the Legion. I have no idea where Detheroc, Tichondrius and Mal'Ganis are but I know where Balnazzar is."

"Where?" Kelrian asked insistently.

"He is in the Scarlet Monastery."

Kelrian's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Exadius chuckled. His eyes became golden and his shape started to twist. He grew in size, horns and wings came out of his body and his skin became much paler. He looked like his true self when his transformation was complete. "You heard me correctly, partner."

"What is he doing there?"

"I have no idea but I'm sure that we will find that out soon."

"What do you mean with soon?"

Exadius smirked. "We will sneak into the monastery and confront Balnazzar. He still serves Kil'jaeden which makes him to our enemy. Either he pledges his loyalty to me or he will die. Truly die. I will teleport him in the Twisting Nether and kill him there if I have to."

"Aren't there enough soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade in the monastery? Do you think it's a good idea to go in there?" Kelrian asked worriedly.

Exadius was very self-confident. "I do. With the help of a spell, the members of the Scarlet Crusade won't see us when we sneak through the corridors. We will have dealt with Balnazzar before these fanatics will notice our presence."

"Will more of your children join us or will it just be the three of us?"

"Just the three of us. My other children have other tasks to do," explained the former king of the nathrezim.

"When will we go?" Kelrian asked.

"Now."

"I'm ready."

Exadius and Danara began to cast a spell together, creating a portal within a few minutes. Exadius pointed at it. "After you."

Kelrian didn't hesitate to step through the portal.


	53. The Scarlet Monastery

The Scarlet Monastery was much larger than Kelrian had expected. It was a huge building complex made out of cobblestones. There was a tower in the southern section which tip was huge and covered by red tiles. The monastery was taller than any cathedral or other religious building he had ever seen. Not even the cathedral in the ruins of Lordaeron was as tall as the Scarlet Monastery.

The monastery stood on a large plateau, mountain ranges bordered on the west and north sides. On the right side was a steep slope that went very deep. From the mountain on which they stood, Kelrian, Exadius and Danara were able to spot dozens of guards around the building.

Kelrian's gaze fell on the nathrezim, an expecting look could be seen on his face. Exadius chuckled as he looked at Kelrian. "Don't worry, partner. I know exactly what to do."

"Tell me."

"I better show you."

Exadius snapped his fingers and Kelrian found himself in a different location a second later. They were in a wide corridor, the walls and the floor were grey and made out of the same stones as the outside walls. They saw spellcasters who carried wands and soldiers who carried swords, shields, axes and other weapons. They stood along the corridor or were walking through it.

Some were looking in their direction but they didn't see them. Even those who directly passed them weren't aware of their presence. Exadius had not only teleported them by snapping his fingers, but he had also made them invisible. None of these fanatics was aware of their presence.

"That was impressive," complimented Kelrian quietly.

"You don't need to whisper," said Exadius. "They can't hear us."

"You have to teach me how to do that."

"I will think about it later. We have other things to worry about at this moment."

"Where is Balnazzar?" Kelrian asked.

Exadius looked at his daughter who gave him a nod. "I will tell you where Balnazzar's aura comes from if you give me a few moments," Danara said.

Kelrian and Exadius waited patiently as Danara cast a spell. When she had finished the spell, she stared into the glass globe in her left hand for a few moments and then looked at her father and his partner. "He is in the main hall but he is not alone. He is surrounded by lots of these fanatics."

"They shouldn't be a problem for us," Exadius announced confidently.

"My felhounds will deal with their spellcasters," said Danara and pulled an amulet out of her pocket, showing it to Kelrian.

"What is this?"

"A special item I crafted. It allows me to summon lots of felhounds within a short amount of time. Basically, this item creates a rift through which lots of felhounds come through," the disguised dreadlord explained.

"Alright. Shall we go to the main hall?"

"I'm ready," replied Exadius.

"So am I," said his daughter.

They walked through various corridors, rooms and smaller halls until they finally came to the main hall which was lacking pieces of decoration. Except for a few benches, no pieces of furniture stood there. Most members of the Scarlet Crusade either stood somewhere or walked around, only a few of them sat on these wooden benches.

As expected, none of them saw Kelrian and his companions. The soldiers were minding their own business. Some of them talked but most of them were quiet.

"So where is Balnazzar?" Kelrian asked impatiently.

Exadius chuckled. "Use your eye and find it out."

Kelrian sighed but didn't protest. He did as he was told and wiped the hair out of his face, activating his golden eye. He immediately noticed that portions of his power were drained but they were so little that it wouldn't bother him, especially not because he had not planned to keep it activated for too long. He wanted to find the nathrezim as soon as possible. He regarded the various humans, not noticing anything extraordinary. Only when his gaze fell on the commander on the opposite side of the hall he noticed something extraordinary.

His green eye saw an older man with grey hair who wore a massive blood-red armour. He had a huge hammer on his back which glowed goldenly. Kelrian's right eye was seeing someone different. There was no older human who still looked fit for his age. His golden eye saw a muscular nathrezim who wore purple armour and had massive purple wings. The nathrezim was standing between the humans and didn't appear to be nervous. He appeared to be very self-confident.

The humans thought he was one of them. They thought that he was their leader Saidan Dathrohan and only Kelrian and his companions knew the truth. The man who looked like Dathrohan was in truth Balnazzar.

Balnazzar was disguised as the leader of the Scarlet Crusade but not even he was aware of their presence. He didn't see them, he didn't hear any of their words nor did he hear their footsteps. Kelrian and the dreadlords walked over to Balnazzar who was speaking to his loyal followers. They stopped not far away from him and regarded him for a few moments before they exchanged looks.

"What now?" Kelrian asked.

"We need to get rid of his manipulated followers first before we confront him," explained Exadius.

"Is that really necessary?" Kelrian asked.

"Do you have any other idea?" Exadius asked curiously

"I have. These people don't have to die if you only allow Balnazzar to see us. That way, we don't have to spill any blood."

"That's a good idea," admitted Exadius. "I wonder why I didn't think of it myself."

"You are very smart," complimented Danara.

Kelrian smiled at her. "Thank you." He looked back at Exadius and gave him an expecting look.

Exadius muttered a few phrases as he stared at Balnazzar. The disguised dreadlord was in the middle of a conversation as he noticed that something had changed. He sensed powerful auras. He turned his head, his eyes widened as he saw his former king and his companions. He stared at them, his mouth was wide open and his eyes reflected a mix of surprise and shock.

The soldiers around him looked at him and then at the spot he was looking but they saw no one there. Only Balnazzar was able to see Kelrian and the others. "Is something wrong, milord?" a soldier asked.

Balnazzar was silent for a few moments, his face became neutral. "No. I'm good," he said. He didn't look very confident nor did his voice sound confident but the soldier didn't dare to question him.

"We will talk about your matter later, Hans. I have to do something important now," Balnazzar said and hurried towards the room's exit. Kelrian, Exadius and Danara followed him but they didn't intend to stop him. They just followed Balnazzar who brought them to an empty room. Danara closed the door behind them as they stepped into the room.

"It was wise of you to take us to this room and not tell your spellcasters to shoot at the spot where we were standing," said Exadius.

Balnazzar's eyes were narrowed and his teeth gritted. "You would have killed all of them if I would have done that, so I had no other choice. No matter what I would have tried, you would have killed me before they would have realized what happened."

"You are right about that," responded the golden-eyed nathrezim. "Would you do me a favour and drop your disguise. I can't stand to look at it any longer."

Balnazzar's gaze fell on Danara. "What about her? Why is she allowed to walk around as a blood elf and I'm not allowed to keep my disguise?"

"She is my daughter, that's why. Also, I'm not having this conversation with her. I'm having it with you. Show me your true form, Balnazzar. It has been a while since I have seen it."

Balnazzar groaned but obeyed. The human body suddenly collapsed and Balnazzar appeared next to it. He was much taller than Kelrian, slightly taller than Danara and her siblings in their original forms but not as tall as Exadius. The former king of the nathrezim regarded his former subject curiously. "You haven't changed much, Balnazzar."

Balnazzar's gaze fell on the thing that replaced half of Exadius' right horn. It had the same shape as the missing part and was made out of gold. It fitted to the colours of his armour, eyes, rings and other decorative elements. "Besides your horn, you haven't changed either, Exadius."

The alpha nathrezim raised a brow and frowned. "Exadius? What about my title? What about majesty? I am your king."

"Was," corrected Balnazzar. "Lord Kil'jaeden defeated you and made Tichondrius to our leader."

"And you are still following this traitor, aren't you? Had it not been for him, Kil'jaeden wouldn't have defeated me and our people wouldn't be his slaves. We wouldn't have to work for the Burning Legion if Tichondrius wouldn't have stabbed me in the back."

Balnazzar tilted his head and shrugged. "Maybe. We will never know."

"I had him on my knees..." Bitterness was reflected in Exadius' voice. "I was about to drive my sword through his chest but then Tichondrius came..." Exadius' eyes were narrowed and reflected pure anger and hatred. Kelrian and the two dreadlords had never seen Exadius so angry before. It seemed that there was a lot of pent-up frustration which Exadius would love to take out on Tichondrius.

"I was not near the palace when it happened. I was busy looking for my wife and children," replied Balnazzar. "I only heard what happened."

"You have a wife and children?" Kelrian asked surprised.

Balnazzar's gaze fell on Kelrian, a confused expression could be seen on his face. "Is that so strange?"

Kelrian shrugged. "Well...Kinda...How can someone fall in love with an evil creature like you?"

Balnazzar's eyes narrowed. "Says the one who loves a banshee who is raising her decreased enemies to serve her."

Kelrian didn't show that he was surprised that Balnazzar knew about this.

"Don't try to deny it. I have my eyes everywhere."

"You got a point," was everything Kelrian said in return.

"We nathrezim reproduce the same way as most mortal creatures on Azeroth, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I have a family. Or had in this case. They died when Kil'jaeden invaded Nathreza."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Balnazzar," said Danara. "Now Iwonder even morewhy you are still serving him these days."

"I didn't say that I'm serving him voluntarily, did I? Even you and your father were forced to serve him, so you should understand that I have no other choice," replied Balnazzar.

"The kaldorei, the humans and the orcs defeated Archimonde. Even Kil'jaeden's plan to kill the Lich King before he merges with Arthas Menethil failed. The Legion pose no threat to us these days. You have no reason to fear them because neither Kil'jaeden nor Archimonde will come to Azeroth so soon. There is no servant of the Legion who possesses a source of power that is powerful enough to summon either Archimonde or Kil'jaeden," replied Exadius.

"There are not many servants of the Burning Legion left on Azeroth. No one will hunt you if you renounce the loyalty to the Burning Legion and join your former king," said Kelrian.

Balnazzar looked at the blood elf prince and then at his former king, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. "Your offer sounds tempting but..."

"You are afraid of Kil'jaeden's wrath, aren't you?" asked Kelrian.

Balnazzar hesitated at first but then he nodded.

"Exadius and I made a deal. He helps me to kill the Lich King and I help him to kill Kil'jaeden," told Kelrian. "If we kill him you no longer have to fear him."

Balnazzar caressed his chin while thinking. "I like the idea of killing Kil'jaeden but the problem is that he is too powerful. Even for you, Exadius."

Exadius' expression didn't change. He still seemed to be very self-confident. "I know, that's why I started to look out for new allies. I made a pact with the prince of the sin'dorei which means I'm allied with the Alliance. They just don't know about that yet but Kelrian will introduce me to them soon."

Kelrian nodded in agreement.

"The more allies we get, the better our chances are to kill that red-skinned eredar bastard," muttered Balnazzar.

"You are right about that," said Kelrian.

Balnazzar looked at him. "Varimathras serves your lover, doesn't he?"

"He does."

"I have a score to settle with him."

"Killing him won't help us at all. If you kill him on Azeroth, he won't be available for quite some time and we need every ally we can get. We need every capable fighter we can get to defeat the Scourge and Kil'jaeden."

Balnazzar gave Kelrian a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill him. I just want to hit him pretty badly."

"I'm not sure if Sylvanas would tolerate that."

Balnazzar's smile became wider. "Then it will be your task to convince her to allow me to hit him. That's my only condition."

Kelrian looked at his partner and raised an eyebrow. "I don't see a problem with that," said the dreadlord.

Kelrian looked back at Balnazzar. "I will ask her."

The dreadlord smiled. "I'm looking forward to doing it."

"Kneel in front of me and pledge your loyalty to me, Balnazzar," Exadius said.

"Do I really have to do that?"

"Yes, you have to do that. I insist."

Balnazzar rolled his eyes annoyingly. "Fine." He got on his knees and lowered his head, swearing his loyalty to Exadius.

"As long as I'm not the true ruler of our people, you will call me Lord Exadius from now on. Only when I dethroned that traitor, you can call me king again."

"As you wish, Lord Exadius."

"You can stand up."

Balnazzar obeyed.

"Tell me what Kil'jaeden ordered you to do on Azeroth," Exadius demanded.

"My task is to set the Scarlet Crusade against the Alliance. I should make sure that as many soldiers as possible die."

"That would only play into the hands of the Scourge. Why would Kil'jaeden wants to do that?" Kelrian asked confused.

Balnazzar shrugged. "I have no idea. I do not question the master."

"Maybe Kil'jaeden hopes that the Scourge will continue to weaken the kingdoms on Azeroth so that the Legion can invade again..." Kelrian looked at his partner. "Do you think Kil'jaeden might plan this?"

"I think so. Kil'jaeden is a very smart guy, so It wouldn't surprise me if that's his plan," responded Exadius.

"So you manipulated Whitemane and everyone else and made them believe that the Forsaken are their enemies, didn't you?" Kelrian asked Balnazzar.

"Well... I didn't need to manipulate them. Whitemane made it to her goal to purge the undead way before I killed Dathrohan and possessed his corpse. I don't know much about this woman but I assume she was a racist before I infiltrated this place. She believes that what she is doing is right," Balnazzar explained.

"We need to stop her by any means. Where is she?"

"I have no idea. She left without informing me which is very odd because she always asked me for permission to go somewhere or do something. I'm her superior after all. This time, she didn't inform me about her plans..."

"You have a new task. Find out what Whitemane is planning," said Exadius. "And command the Scarlet Crusade to stop attacking the Alliance."

Balnazzar nodded. "As you wish, Lord Exadius."

"We have to inform the Alliance about this. It's time to **i** ntroduce you to them," Kelrian said to his partner.

"I see things the same, partner."

"What about tomorrow? We should tell them everything as soon as possible before they plan to attack the Scarlet Monastery with a huge army."

"Tomorrow sounds good."

"Is there anything else we need to discuss?" Kelrian asked.

"Not really."

He looked at Balnazzar who shook his head.

Exadius looked at his new subject. "You know what you have to do, right?"

"I do."

"Do not disappoint me or try to trick me. You know what happens to those who do that."

Balnazzar nodded quickly, fear could be seen in his eyes for a short moment. He began to cast a spell and disappeared. Suddenly, Dathrohan's corpse began to move again and stood up. Balnazzar possessed the corpse again.

Exadius looked at his daughter. "You will stay here with Balnazzar and watch over him and the Scarlet Monastery."

Danara nodded. "As you wish, father."

Exadius created a portal within a few minutes. "Let's get out of here, partner."

Kelrian nodded and stepped through the portal.

* * *

"How many soldiers did we lose?"

"Three hundred seventy-eight. Over two hundred were burned by the Scarlet Crusade."

"Are the bodies of those who weren't burned still intact?"

"Most of them are."

Sylvanas looked at Lyndia. "Tell the necromancers to bring them back. It's not their time to die yet."

"As you wish, aunt." Lyndia lowered her head in respect and left the conference room.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Verena again. "What do our scouts say?"

"The Scarlet Crusade has not been active since their first attempt to conquer our most important bases. They remain in the Scarlet Monastery and in other bases. It seems that they wait for something."

"How many soldiers do they have?"

"The scouts spoke several thousand," replied Verena.

"It's only a matter of time until they attack us again," muttered Sylvanas.

"I have no doubt that they will attack again soon," said her favourite advisor.

Sylvanas was about to say something as she heard the door being opened. She turned her head, her eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Kelrian walking towards her. She had expected him to be in Brill, so she was more than just confused why he was suddenly here.

But before she could do or say anything, Kelrian reached her and pressed his lips on hers. She was stunned for a moment, not having expected him to kiss her while Verena was in the same room as them. Her body acted instinctively and returned the kiss. The kiss didn't last very long and was not as passionate as the kisses she used to share with him but it was decent enough.

Sylvanas blinked a few times when he pulled away, realizing she had not imagined this. This was not one of her daydreams she had sometimes about him when they were separated. The kiss had been real and so was Kelrian. He was really here despite Alleria's order to stay in Brill.

"What are you doing here?" she asked irritated. "You are supposed to be in Brill. Did something happen?"

Kelrian put his hands on her hips, noticing the jealousy in Verena's eyes. "Something happened indeed."

Sylvanas' face was full of surprise when Kelrian was done explaining what he had done in the past hours. She had imagined many things that could explain Kelrian's sudden appearance. She had imagined many bad scenarios but she would have never imagined what Kelrian had just told her. She had not expected that his sudden appearance would have a positive reason.

Kelrian still stood in front of her and was looking down at her, his hands were still caressing her hips. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am. I just need a few moments to assimilate everything you told me."

Kelrian's eyes didn't leave hers.

"So, your new ally is the former king of the nathrezim who was forced to serve the Burning Legion. His task was to kill Tyrande Whisperwind but he didn't kill her even though he had the chance. You found him in another dimension and freed him. He healed your wounds and replaced your eye and your forearm after you made a pact with him. He wants you to help him kill Kil'jaeden after he helped you killing Arthas."

Kelrian nodded. "That's right."

"Exadius also wants to free as many nathrezim as possible from Kil'jaeden's control. You discovered that Balnazzar, who I believed was killed by Varimathras, took the place of the leader of the Scarlet Crusade. His master ordered him to make sure that as many enemies of the Scourge as possible die so that the Lich King wins and the Burning Legion can invade Azeroth again after they got rid of the Lich King. Your partner managed to convince Balnazzar to work for him instead. He left his daughter, who was disguised as one of the sin'dorei who appeared with you in the conference room in Silvermoon, to look after Balnazzar and the Scarlet Monastery. Did I forget something?"

"You forgot that I still have no idea how I landed in this dimension. I have no idea who saved me. I wish I could thank that person. Without them, I would be in Arthas' hands. I would have to serve him until someone would release or free me."

Worry and anxiety were reflected by Sylvanas' eyes which rested on her feet. "That would have been the worst-case scenario," she whispered. She didn't notice that she had wrapped her arms tightly around Kelrian and pressed her body against his. She was hugging him tightly as if she feared he would be taken away from her the next moment. Fortunately, he was not. He stared down at her and put a hand beneath her chin. He lifted it and stared into her eyes, noticing that the worry and anxiety vanished as she returned his gaze.

Kelrian pecked on her lips, putting a strand of her pale blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm here, Sylvanas," he whispered. "There is no reason to be worried."

Sylvanas said nothing in return as she put her head on his chest. Kelrian put his demonic hand on the back of her head,stroking over the soft fabric of her hood. He averted his gaze after a few moments and looked at Verena who was not able to hide her jealously. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the provocative grin on his lips. The grin had vanished after a few seconds but it had been enough to make Verena more jealous than she already was.

Kelrian knew Verena was aware that Sylvanas was his and that she had not a chance to win her over as long as he was there. She was not the only one who was jealous of him. Nathanos was jealous too but just like Verena, he was no threat to Kelrian. They were jealous but they would never do anything to harm him.

Kelrian believed that at least. They were no longer the same persons they had been in life. He knew how drastically death could change people. Sylvanas would have never considered raising decreased creatures to strengthen her army before her death. As Ranger-General, she would have never used questionable methods to achieve her goals. As the Banshee Queen, she did everything in her power to survive and weaken the Scourge. She would do anything necessary to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas. She even told her subjects to kill everyone who would see them raising the dead.

But she was not the only person who had changed. Kelrian had met enough humans and elves he had known in life who had drastically changed in death. His former best friend had not reacted at all when they had met again after more than five years. It was not unlikely that Nathanos or Verena would try to sabotage his and Sylvanas' relationship. It was not unlikely but Kelrian didn't believe they would. He could only hope his assumption was right.

He looked back at Sylvanas and kissed her forehead, toying with her left ear a little. He kissed it gently and did the same with the other, knowing that Verena was still in the room. She was not watching them anymore. She had turned around and stared at the wall, remaining silent.

Sylvanas stepped away after a while and smiled at Kelrian who returned it without hesitation. She turned her head and looked at Verena. "I want you to send messengers to the other leaders and tell them that I will convene a spontaneous meeting. Tell them that it's urgent and that I want to meet them in Dalaran around midday."

Verena looked at the clock on the opposite wall. "It's three o'clock in the morning. The leaders will still sleep at this time."

"That's why the messengers should inform the guards. If you are good, you write them letters in case the messengers forget what they are supposed to say," responded Sylvanas.

"As you wish, mistress."

"Now go."

Verena gave Kelrian one last grim glance before she walked out of the conference room.

"I never saw Verena acting like this," muttered Kelrian.

Sylvanas raised a brow. "You mean acting jealous?" she asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Verena was never jealous of you in life. She was happy for us but death changed her."

"As long as she's not trying to sabotage us."

"I doubt she will."

"I hope so."

Sylvanas put her hands on Kelrian's cheeks. "Don't worry about her or Nathanos. They won't do anything. Trust me."

Kelrian stared into her eyes and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Sylvanas put a hand on his hip and the other on his back. She noticed that her skin started to tingle in excitement as she pressed her body against his. Being held by him and able to touch him increased her desire for him. She was not just satisfied with being physically close to him. She wanted more.

She stepped on her tiptoes and kissed him. Feeling his lips against hers made the tingling stronger and increased the lust she was feeling. The area between her legs started to tingle as she slipped her tongue into Kelrian's mouth. He did the same in return. Their tongues danced together before they explored the mouth of the other. The kiss was much more passionate and lasted much longer than the previous kiss they had shared. Kissing Sylvanas often took Kelrian's breath away, just like in this very moment.

Kelrian breathed heavily while he caressed Sylvanas' cheek. He waited until his lungs had gotten enough air and his body had calmed down, then he leaned in and kissed her again. They didn't stand still this time. They moved as they kissed, reaching the long and wide conference table. Kelrian put Sylvanas on the table and laid down on top of her without interrupting the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair at first but then she gave her hands a new task. The task to undress Kelrian.

* * *

**(Begin of an 18+ scene. I marked the ending of the scene so that you can skip it if you don't want to read explicit sexual content. The scene after this one is important. Don't miss it**. **)**

Darkness surrounded her. Her eyes were closed but even if they weren't, she wouldn't be able to see anything. Her eyes were covered by a piece of fabric. A blindfold. She was unable to see her surroundings but she didn't need to see anything. All she had to do was to concentrate on the waves of pleasure that rushed through her body.

Her vocal cords produced moans but they were not able to escape her mouth. She had a blue ball in her mouth which prevented the moans from escaping her mouth. Only muffled sounds could be heard. It had been a wise choice of him to gag her because anyone near the conference room would have heard her otherwise. She didn't mind the gag or the blindfold. Nor did she mind that her arms were tied behind her back. It gave her an additional thrill. The last time she had tied Kelrian to her bed and rode him like a cowgirl. She had been in the one in control, the dominant one.

This time, he was the one in control. The one who decided which positions they would take and which accessories and toys they would use. He was the master and she was the submissive person. She was on her knees, her ass was lifted in the air and her head rested on the hard tabletop of the conference table. He was right behind her, his demon hand pulled on her hair, three fingers of his humanoid hand were in her pussy. They were causing pleasure to Sylvanas but they were not the only reason why she was feeling such an immense amount of pleasure.

It was Kelrian's dick that was making her feel more than just great. It was in her ass, stretching the inner walls. Sylvanas had never imagined she would feel so good while having a dick in her ass. She had done anal with Kelrian when they had been alive but she had never enjoyed it as much as he had done it. Her first anal intercourse had been painful at the beginning and had not felt as good as vaginal sex.

Since she became undead and had discovered that she liked using ties, whips and blindfolds, she didn't mind feeling an acceptable amount of pain as long as it brought her pleasure in return. Kelrian was gentle with her. He was a gentle and caring lover who didn't just think about his own pleasure. He was not an egoist. He wanted to make Sylvanas feel good too.

He had made love to her pussy first and then gently teased her butthole, had shoved one finger inside it and later a second and a third. He had pumped his fingers in and out gently and made her butthole wide enough for his member. At first, only the tip had been inside her but after the pain had vanished, he had shoved more of his sex inside her. Her ass was full, the inner walls of her ass and pussy were rubbed by his member and his fingers. He was making her feel very good. She enjoyed what he was doing to her and he enjoyed it as well.

He enjoyed penetrating her tight butt. He had always fantasized about it. Sylvanas had only allowed him to make love to her butt one time in life. The one time had been great for him. Since she had become undeath, she tolerated more things and did things she would have never done in life.

Tying up each other was a good example. She had loved to be in control in life and she still loved to be in control these days but she had never tied him up or blindfolded him before her death. She had never allowed him to blindfold her or tie her up. She had never allowed him to be in control but these days she allowed him to be the dominant part from time to time.

She loved switching roles with him and she knew he loved it too. Of course, they still had normal sex. They loved being in these roles but they didn't do it all time. She was sure that they would do it whenever they were in the mood for it. If they weren't, they would have traditional sex.

Seeing Sylvanas on her knees with her ass lifted in the air really turned Kelrian on. She was in the middle of the table, her head pointed to the room's exit. The door was closed but not locked. Anybody could walk through it at any moment but the possibility of getting caught only made the sex much better. It gave their love-making an additional kick and made it more exciting.

Kelrian had no idea how much time had passed as he felt his orgasm approach. He did nothing to stop it, on the contrary, he moved his hips faster and pumped his dick in and out faster than before. His dick twitched eventually and sperms shot out of the tip.

Sylvanas' orgasm came half a minute later. He waited until she had ridden out her orgasm and before he pulled his fingers out. He slapped her ass, smiling as he noticed the red handprint on her left butt cheek. He used a handkerchief to clean his hand and regarded Sylvanas for a few moments before he pulled his dick out.

He smirked as he saw that cum flowed out of her butthole. He had released a huge load inside her and her ass couldn't keep all of it. Cum dripped onto the tablecloth and even flowed inside her pussy. Kelrian sat down next to Sylvanas and put a hand on her ass, caressing her butt cheeks and slapping them gently. He did that for a few minutes but then decided to show mercy and free her.

He removed her blindfold first, then her ties and at last her gag. Sylvanas sat up and looked at him, a satisfied expression could be seen on her face. She sat down onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, a wide grin could be seen on her lips. "I have to say, I enjoyed it more than I have expected."

Kelrian's grin became wider. "I'm glad you loved it. I really enjoyed it as well."

"I don't mind doing it again one day but not so soon. The next time we make love, we do it without ties and blindfolds, if that's okay for you, my love."

"It is," Kelrian said and kissed her. The kiss was long and passionate, making both of them want more. They still wanted more even though they just had sex. They wanted each other so badly but they knew they should get dressed this time. They had been in the conference room for a while so that it was not unlikely that a Forsaken would come into the room to look after them. It was also possible that Verena would return at any moment to inform Sylvanas that she had completed her task.

**(End of the 18+ scene)**

* * *

Kelrian and Sylvanas dressed quickly and got off the table. Sylvanas stepped to Kelrian and took his hands, staring into his eyes. Kelrian smiled at her and caressed the back of her hand with his thumbs. He took her left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. He ran his thumb over her wedding ring. His wedding ring to be exact. She still wore it because they had not exchanged their rings yet.

Kelrian's gaze rested on the ring for a while before it wandered to her face. Sylvanas nodded her head slightly, answering Kelrian's unspoken question. Kelrian removed the ring from her finger, handed it to Sylvanas and then removed the ring on his finger. He regarded it for a few moments before he took Sylvanas' left hand and put the ring on her finger. He stared into her eyes while doing it, noticing that happiness was reflected by them.

This wonderful momentreminded him of their wedding day. At this very moment, his heart was beating as fast as it had done during the wedding ceremony. They were already married but he was nervous nevertheless. They were about to exchange their rings just like they had decided before Sylvanas had left Silvermoon weeks ago.

They had exchanged rings five years ago when Sylvanas had convinced him to go to Windrunner Spire and evacuate their family. Sylvanas had told him to return the ring to her before she had said goodbye to him. Back then, she had not believed they would ever exchange their rings because she had not expected that she would see him again. She had believed she would die, really die. But Arthas had not done her the favour of granting her a swift death.

She had cursed him for this. She was still cursing him and still wanted to see him dead for everything he had done to her people, to her family and to her. She hated him more than anyone else. She had hated her existence for quite some time, she had only felt anger and hatred after her rebirth. She had thought her only purpose was to seek vengeance and kill Arthas. She had thought that killing Arthas would be the only way to make her happy. She had been wrong, so wrong.

She had reunited with the love of her life. She had found him again and came together with him again. She had never believed that this would happen. She had always feared he would reject her and come together with another woman. She had feared he would regard her as an abomination and keep as much distance as possible to her.

Fortunately, her fears had not come true. He still loved her even though her appearance and her personality had changed. She had not become a totally different person but she was no longer the same self-confident woman she had once been. She had phases in which she felt very insecure but she also had phases in which she didn't feel that way. Mood swings occurred from time to time. Sometimes more often than she liked. She had no control over the way she felt.

Being in Kelrian's near helped her to deal with her anxiety and insecurity. Being around him calmed her and made her happy. Kissing him made her forget about all her worries. Being able to press her body against his, hug him and caress his cheeks belonged to the things she enjoyed to do these days. Having sex with him was the activity she enjoyed the most and she knew he enjoyed it as much as she did. They couldn't get enough of each other and she was grateful that things between them worked out so well. She was glad that she still had him after she had lost so much.

This moment was very exciting for Sylvanas. She still remembered the best day of her life, her wedding day. She still remembered every moment. She still remembered the way how her body had behaved that day. It behaved similarly at this very moment. Her skin tingled in excitement and she even blushed. The only difference was that her heart was not beating. It had beaten rapidly in her chest on their wedding day but it couldn't beat at this very moment. Sylvanas was sure that it would beat as rapidly as it had done back then if she would still be alive.

She missed hearing her heartbeat when she was nervous or excited. She missed so many things which she had done in life. Eating, sleeping and taking sunbaths belonged to the things she missed the most. She may have more time as an undead, which she could use wisely, than a living person. She had more time planning campaigns and doing her tasks as the queen of Undercity but she still missed sleeping. She missed waking up next to Kelrian. There were enough things she missed and only a few things she didn't miss.

Sylvanas smiled at Kelrian and regarded him for a few moments before she took his right hand and put his ring on his wedding finger. Kelrian returned her smile, put his hands on her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss. The kiss ended eventually but their bodies were still pressed against each other. They stared at each other silently, caressing the back of the other.

"I love you, Sylvanas," Kelrian said eventually.

"I love you too, Kelrian."

The following silence lasted for a few minutes but it was pleasant for both of them.

"I should rest for a few hours before we go to Dalaran," Kelrian said eventually.

"That's not a bad idea."

"I will take one of your guestrooms then."

"You don't have to. I have no problem if you use my private room. I don't need to sleep, so you can use my bed. It's big enough for both of us, so I can cuddle with you while you sleep," Sylvanas told.

Kelrian smiled. "I like that idea."

"So do I."

Kelrian made a step away from her, ignoring the signals his body gave him. It demanded him to have close body contact with Sylvanas for much longer. He was sure Sylvanas' body was acting in a similar way. It was obvious that she already missed the close body contact with him. But it was only a matter of time until they would lie close together again and cuddle up. They had to hold until they would reach her room. Fortunately for them, Sylvanas' private room was not too far away from the conference room.

"Let's go," Sylvanas said and began to move. Kelrian followed her without hesitation.


	54. Tolerance

Kelrian looked at the man next to him. "Are you ready?"

"I am," responded Exadius. He was disguised as Exandros to prevent Tyrande and Malfurion from freaking out the moment he will enter the room. Kelrian wanted to explain everything to them and convince them that Exadius was a trustworthy person before he would reveal his true form.

Kelrian knew that things would be much easier for them if Exadius would maintain his disguise but he wanted to be honest with his allies, so he had decided against that idea.

Having the Alliance's trust was very important to Kelrian. He wanted Exadius to earn the Alliance's trust too and he knew it wouldn't be easy. But it must be done. Exadius knew lots of things and his influence was too large to relinquish it. Kelrian was certain that his partner will be very useful against the Scourge.

Kelrian took a deep breath, put his hands on the double doors and pushed them open. Together with Exadius, he entered the room where the leaders of the Alliance were already waiting for him. Many pairs of eyes fell on him but they moved quickly to his partner. The leaders of the Alliance were giving them curious looks. Except for Sylvanas and Verena, none of them had an idea who his partner was but it was only a matter of time until they will find out.

Kelrian let his gaze wander and took a closer look at the room's interior furnishing. The room's walls were purple, the floor was covered by a purple carpet but the colour tone was slightly darker than the colour tone of the walls. The room was decorated with excellent pieces of furniture, like most rooms in the Violet Citadel.

Purple was the main colour of the Kirin Tor. Purple stood for the Kirin Tor, blue for the Alliance and red for the Horde. Only the Alliance and the Kirin Tor were present. The Horde and the Alliance were not at war with each other but they weren't working together either. They just coexisted and fought against the Scourge on their own.

Kelrian knew that working with the Horde would increase their chances to defeat the Scourge. He knew they should work with them to defend Azeroth but he didn't trust them. He didn't like them because of the events of the past. The orcs and trolls had caused so much suffering to his people during the First and the Second War. Many of his comrades and friends had died during the Second War. His older brother died during the Battle of Lordaeron and Sylvanas' brother Lirath, Camillia's mate and Lyndia's father, had been killed by orcs at the beginning of the Second War. He wouldn't want to work with the Horde unless they would have no other choice.

He knew that the night elves andTheramore had nothing against the Horde but the sin'dorei, Stormwind and the Forsaken had expressed clearly that they didn't want to work with them. Most Forsaken were fallen humans and blood elves, so it made sense that they didn't like the Horde. Kelrian was glad that Alleria, Sylvanas and Varian were on his side in this matter.

Kelrian approached Sylvanas and gave her a barely recognizable smile. Sylvanas returned the smile but said nothing. Kelrian and Exadius greeted the other participants.

Rhonin was the first who spoke. "May I ask who your companion is?"

"I will tell you who he is but it's a bit complicated," replied Kelrian.

Rhonin raised an eyebrow. "Complicated?"

"As you know, someone or something saved me from Arthas. I was teleported to another dimension before Frostmourne would have pierced my body. I still have no idea who or what was responsible for that but I'm glad it happened. Anyway, I met someone in that dimension. Someone who was hurt, chained and guarded by lots of servants of the Burning Legion."

"I assume that this man is the one you met there," said Rhonin.

Kelrian nodded. "You are right but he is not an ordinary human as you might think. My partner was once forced to serve the Burning Legion but he managed to break free. He sabotaged the Legion but they got him and tortured him before they locked him into that dimension. I freed him and made a deal with him."

"A deal?" Tyrande asked.

She sounded alarmed. She had had bad experiences with people who had made deals with servants of the Legion. Her former lover Illidan had made serval deals with demons. The power he had received had made him stronger but negatively affected him at the same time. The fel power had gnawed at his mind and turned him into an unpredictable madman. He had once been a misunderstood leader but nowadays he was an insane and ruthless ruler who wanted Outland all for himself. Illidan and his fellow demon hunters hungered for power and no one had any idea what he would do if he would gain control over all areas of Outland.

Kelrian nodded at the high priestess. "He gave me power and healed my wounds. He replaced my lost eye and my forearm and promised me to help me defeat the Lich King if I help him to kill a certain creature."

"A certain creature?" Malfurion asked confused.

Exadius looked at the archdruid. "An eredar with the name Kil'jaeden. Your wife met him on Outland five years ago. Kil'jaeden is a very powerful demon who enslaved my people. I intend to free as many of them as possible from the Burning Legion."

"Your people?" Malfurion asked confused.

"I'm not the man you see in front of you. This is only a disguise. I took this form to hide from Kil'jaeden's agents. I no longer need to hide, so I can show you my true form but..."

"But what?" asked Tyrande.

"I'm not sure if you would be delighted to see me, considering what happened the last time we met, High Priestess."

A confused expression could be seen on Tyrande's face. "What do you mean?"

"I think the best is that I reveal myself but first I want to tell you that I'm on your side. As Kelrian said, I was forced to serve the Burning Legion but I no longer am. Everything I did in the past, I only did because I had no other choice. Please, keep that in mind."

Tyrande frowned. "What did you do?"

Exadius sighed. "I was ordered to kill you."

Tyrande's eyes widened. "Are you...?"

Exadius let his disguise dissolve. Tyrande's eyes widened even further as she recognized him. Shock and surprise could be seen on her face but also on the faces of the others. Except for Sylvanas and Verena, none of them had expected the human by Kelrian's side to be a nathrezim.

"Before you insult me or accuse me, let me tell you that I could have killed you if I really wanted but I didn't. Illidan wouldn't have been able to save you if I would have used my full power. I let you live and let it look like Illidan saved you. In truth, I spared you because your death wouldn't have helped me at all. I didn't want to attack you but I had to keep my cover, that's why I came for you," Exadius said to Tyrande.

Tyrande still regarded him with widened eyes. She was speechless, hundreds of thoughts crossed her mind. It was obvious that she needed a few minutes to assimilate everything Exadius had said. The others were silent too, allowing Kelrian to speak.

"Exadius feels sorry for having nearly killed you, Tyrande. He had no other choice back then. As he said, he hadn't wanted to kill you back then. He is no longer forced to serve the Burning Legion. I understand that you have difficulties to trust a demon or someone who works with a demon, considering what happened to Illidan but I can assure you that Exadius is on our side."

"How can you be so sure about that? How can you be so sure that he didn't lie to you and only pretends to be your ally? What if he plans to do something bad once we trust him?" she asked.

"Well, I don't see a reason why he should lie to me. Everything he said makes sense. There are other, much easier, ways for demons to corrupt and manipulate people. I don't see why he should badly injure himself and let his servants shackle him. I believe and trust him. He wants the Scourge gone as badly as we do. I understand that you will not trust him that easily but I can guarantee you that he is not our enemy. He wants to be our ally if you let him," Kelrian told.

Tyrande's eyes rested on Kelrian for a few moments before they fell on Exadius. The dreadlord stood behind Kelrian, his arms were crossed behind his back. His expression was neutral. Tyrande's expression told Kelrian that she was still suspicious. He couldn't hold that against her. He would be suspicious too if someone would tell him that Xenarion had just behaved the way he had because he had had no other choice. He would have problems believing that and so he understood why Tyrande could not immediately trust Exadius.

She regarded Exadius for a few minutes before she looked back at Kelrian. "And you trust him?" she asked doubtingly.

"I do. He could have killed me after I freed him but he didn't. On the contrary, he helped me whenever he could. He made me much stronger than I ever imagined to be. I'm certain that he does not manipulate me or deceive me. He is on our side."

"Very well, I hope you are right about him."

"I trust him with my life."

"I do not trust him but I will tolerate him because you trust him. Don't make me regret that."

"Trust me, Tyrande. There is no need to worry about him."

Tyrande nodded at him but said nothing in response.

The following silence didn't last for too long. Alleria cleared her throat, getting Kelrian's attention. "Sylvanas told me that you have new insights about the Scarlet Crusade."

Kelrian nodded and didn't hesitate to tell the gathered leaders what he had told Sylvanas in Undercity. He told them about Balnazzar and the information the dreadlord had given them. He told them about Whitemane's disappearing and insured them that those soldiers in the Scarlet Monastery wouldn't attack them again.

"So only those who went with Whitemane might attack us sooner or later," concluded Vereesa.

"We don't know how many went with her but it's not unlikely that they would attack the bases of the Forsaken again one day. It's possible that Whitemane will try to overthrow the current leader of the Scarlet Crusade as soon as she realizes that he doesn't plan to attack the Forsaken. I have no doubt that Balnazzar is clever enough to figure out her plans and prevent them," explained Exadius.

"I don't want to offend Balnazzar but he didn't appear very competent to me. I faced him in the past and let's say he failed at the only task his master gave him," said Sylvanas carefully.

Exadius looked at her. "Balnazzar and his brothers have never belonged to the upper class of the nathrezim. They are smart but not much smarter than the average nathrezim. They are still more intelligent than most creatures on Azeroth but they do too many mistakes. I still have no idea why Tichondrius chose them to take care of the Scourge. They had the task to discharge Arthas and take over the Scourge. I still do not understand how they didn't manage to defeat him together... They didn't even try...Anyway, I have forgotten what I originally wanted to say."

He paused for a few moments, lifting his hand as it came back in his mind. "I wanted to say that your concerns are not misplaced, Lady Windrunner. But I can assure you that Whitemane will not be able to take over the Scarlet Crusade. I left my oldest daughter in the Scarlet Monastery to watch over Balnazzar and these fanatics. I trust her more than Balnazzar. She is my own flesh and blood, so I know she won't disappoint me."

"I hope she does not," Sylvanas said.

"Whitemane is still a threat to us. We should find out where she is and what she is planning," Varian reminded everyone.

"Let's hope our scouts and spies find out her whereabouts," replied Rhonin.

"I heard Stormwind has the best spies. I wonder if they find the High Inquisitor before my children do," Exadius said to Varian.

"This is not a race or a game, demon. It doesn't matter who finds her first. All that matters is that we find her and stop her."

Exadius chuckled. "I know, your majesty. I was just wondering about it, nothing more. Anyway, I suppose there are other matters we have to discuss."

"You are right about that," Jaina said to him. Exadius' gaze fell on her, his golden eyes regarded her curiously. Jaina didn't hesitate to continue. "Kael'thas Sunstrider still hides in Tempest Keep and harvests energies. We have no idea what he is planning but I doubt it's anything good."

Exadius' gaze fell on Kelrian who didn't appear to be happy. Jaina's gaze also fell on him. "You know what your father did since you disappeared, do you?"

Kelrian nodded. "I know about the destruction of the Kirin'Var Village by a mana bomb. I know that hundreds of humans and dwarves died that day. I also know that his men slaughtered many draenei and drove them out of Tempest Keep. I'm aware that they crash-landed on Azeroth with their ship." He paused, a sad sigh escaped his lips.

"I can't believe he did all these horrible things... Before I was teleported to this prison dimension, my father did everything to defeat the Scourge and help our people. It's still hard for me to believe that he turned against us... I don't know how to feel about it... At least I know that we have to stop him. We have to find out what he is planning so that we can do something about it."

Kelrian turned his head and looked at Sylvanas as he felt her hand on his. She intertwined their fingers and stared into his eyes, causing him to calm down. He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand, turning his head to Alleria when she began to speak.

"Kael'thas sent a naaru to us years ago from which we drain power ever since. He also sent cells of harvested energy to us every month. He made sure that we didn't lack these necessary energies but then, a year ago, he stopped sending us cells. The naaru remains in Silvermoon but it's not unlikely that he wants to have it back. It seems that he is storing a large amount of energy and it's safe to say that his intentions are not good."

"Do you have any idea what we should do?" Kelrian asked his sister-in-law.

Alleria shook her head. "Unfortunately, no."

"Does anyone else have an idea?" Kelrian asked the others.

"I would love to sneak into Tempest Keep and kidnap your father but I doubt that we can do that. I bet he has enough men who guard this place and I know he has a security system that is functioning very well," responded Alleria.

"What if we find a way to deactivate the system and avoid his guards?" asked Kelrian.

"Do you know how this system works and how we can deactivate it?"

Kelrian shook his head. "No, I don't."

"The draenei should know it. They occupied Tempest Keep before Kael'thas and his loyalists conquered it," replied Magni.

"So we have to meet with the draenei and ask for their help," concluded Kelrian.

"I think capturing Kael'thas is the only way to stop him. We only waste time if we try to find out what he is planning. We should confront him and take him captive. To achieve that, we have to meet with the draenei," said Sylvanas.

"I suggest that those who already had contact with them should go."

Tyrande got everyone's attention as she cleared her throat. "Malfurion's and my daughter Shandris met their leader. We should send her as an ambassador to the base of the draenei."

"Sounds good to me. Does anyone have any objections in that matter?" asked Kelrian.

All the other participants shook their heads.

"Is there anything else we have to discuss?"

"Well... Besides Illidan who is still trying to gain control over all areas of Outland, there is nothing else which bothers us at the moment. We don't know yet if Illidan will become a problem for us. We don't know what he's planning, but I doubt it will mean anything good if he gains full control of Outland," explained Malfurion.

"What do we know about Illidan's plans?" Kelrian asked.

"We don't know how his big plan looks like. For now, we know he wants to conquer Outland. He is recruiting constantly."

"Recruiting?"

"He uses the blood of a powerful demon to create fel orcs which he sends out to spread fear and terror in Outland. His forces are constantly fighting with your father's forces but Illidan has not yet managed to conquer the area your father controls. Their rivalry and the war between them only plays in our hands. They make things easier for us if they weaken each other," explained the archdruid.

"So what do we do about him?" Kelrian asked the other participants.

"We should deal with Kael'thas first and then we will figure out what we will do about Illidan," suggested Alleria.

"I agree with the Regent Lady," replied Jaina.

"So be it," said Rhonin after he had regarded the expressions on the faces of all present creatures. "We will meet again as soon as General Feathermoon returns. Does anyone have any objections?"

The others shook their heads.

"Alright. I declare the meeting to be over."

* * *

_"No matter what you will do, you will never be victorious, traitor," the wounded man spat out. His remaining eye was narrowed and rested on the mad king. Blood flowed out of his mouth, knocked-out teeth were lying in the puddle of blood not far away from him. Parts of his skin were burned while other parts were covered by ugly scars._

_The man in the red robe came closer and tilted his head as he regarded him. "Big words for a man who is about to lose his life."_

_"I may lose my life but at least I didn't lose my honour," hissed the man sharply._

_"Your honour won't save you. Honour means nothing if you are dead. I rather live without honour than being as weak and foolish as you are. My tactic proved to be very effective. I'm a genius, don't you think?"_

_The man spat in front of the mad king's feet. "Fuck you, bastard. You ordered your people to kill more women, children and old and sick people if I wouldn't have told you about the fragment. I had no other choice but to surrender. You should be ashamed of yourself. The methods you use to achieve your goals are reprehensible."_

_The mage shrugged and gave the wounded man an indifferent look. "As long as these methods are successful and efficient, I don't care."_

_"You're the worst."_

_He shrugged again. "I don't care about your stupid opinion."_

_"I hope you will rot in hell," the man spat out._

_The mage regarded the badly wounded sin'dorei for a few moments before he looked at the man next to him._

_"Lord Sanguinar would you take care of this traitor?"_

_The blood elf warrior nodded. "As you wish, my king." He walked over to the wounded man and stopped right in front of him. "Any last words?" the warrior asked._

_The wounded man looked at the man who had once been his king. "The Earthen Ring will find out what you did, Kael'thas. The Alliance will hear of these crimes and...," Lord Sanguinar smashed the man's head with his huge hammer before he could have finished his sentence. The blood that was sprayed on his armour was barely visible due to the armour's crimson red colour._

_"Actually, I wanted to hear what he had to say."_

_Lord Sanguinar lowered his head in apology. "I'm sorry, your majesty."_

_"It's okay. I forgive you this time. But next time, wait for my signal. Otherwise..." He didn't finish his sentence._

_The warrior nodded. "I will, my king."_

_Kael'thas' gaze rested on the motionless corpse for a few moments and then wandered to the other corpses that were scattered throughout the village. The sight satisfied him. He had gotten used to such sights. Crippled corpses, spread innards and lots of blood that covered the ground. He enjoyed what he was seeing. Seeing so many dead enemies filled him with joy. The more dead enemies he saw, the happier he was._

_Orcs, trolls, sin'dorei, humans and other races. It didn't matter to him who died. He didn't care to which race they belonged. He didn't care how old they were and if they had family or not. In his eyes, everyone who tried to stop his plans had to die. He didn't make any exceptions._

_Those who had once served him and dared to question him had learned it the hard way. They found a horrible death just like the leader of the rebels who had been a pain in the ass to Kael'thas for months. He had delayed his plans and stole too much time of his precious time. But now he was dead and would no longer bother the former king of the sin'dorei. There was no one who could stop him from getting the item he had searched for months._

_"What should we do with his corpse?" asked Grand Astromancer Capernian. Kael'thas turned his head to look at her. She was the only woman among his advisors who had supported him since the very beginning. She had dark blue hair and wore a blood-red dress. She had a magic wand in her right hand, her left hand pointed at the body of the elf whose head had been crushed by the hammer of Kael'thas' second advisor._

_"Leave it there, I don't care about this traitor."_

_"Doesn't he deserve a proper funeral?" Capernian asked._

_Kael'thas shook his head. "No. He lost this right when he decided to rebel against me."_

_The mage nodded. "I understand, my king."_

_Kael'thas gave her an evil grin. "I know what we will do with his filthy corpse."_

_"And what would that be, your majesty?" asked his third advisor. His name was Telonicus and he was the king's master engineer. He wore black armour and carried a large sword with a blood-red handle and a sharp and long silver blade in his hand._

_"Give him to Brutalos. He won't say no to a proper meal. Do the same with the other corpses. The more Brutalos eats, the stronger he gets. I need him to be as strong as possible if I want to overthrow Illidan and claim Outland as mine."_

_"As you wish, your majesty," responded Telonicus and gave the gathered soldiers a signal. They started to collect the dead bodies and the remains of deceased creatures and brought them to waggons._

_Kael'thas' gaze fell on Thaladred the Darkener who stepped to him. His armour was thick and blood-red just like the armour of Lord Sanguinar. In his right hand, he carried a large double axe whose blade was wrapped in flames. "What is it, Thaladred?"_

_"High Astromancer Solarian just returned, my king"_

_"Bring her to me."_

_"As you wish."_

_Thaladred returned a few minutes later with a woman. She was a mage but her outfit had more similarities to a warlock armour than a typical mage outfit. Her face was covered by a purple magical veil through which only her purple glowing eyes could be seen. Kael'thas sensed the strong amount of void energy that was radiated by her body but it didn't concern him._

_"Do you have it?" the mad king asked impatiently._

_Solarian nodded. "I do."_

_He stretched his hand out and gave the mage an expecting look. Solarian didn't hesitate to give him the pouch she held in her hand. Kael'thas opened it quickly, his eyes widened in joy as spotted the fragment. "Perfect."_

_He gave it back to the astromancer. "Hold it for a second." He opened the pouch he had taken from the leader of the rebels and took a similar-looking fragment out of it, giving it to Solarian. Then he muttered a few words in eredun and let another pouch appear. He opened it as well and took another fragment out. He didn't need long to combine all three fragments into one item._

_"The Cipher of Damnation is finally completed," he shouted. "Nothing will stop me now." The following laughter was loud and sounded evil._

_He stopped after a while and turned to his advisors. "Now that we have everything we need for my plan, we can put it into action. As soon as I have the elemental lords of Outland on my side, I will overwhelm Illidan's forces and claim Outland as mine. Illidan will regret abandoning me when I needed him the most. As soon as I got rid of him, I will return to Silvermoon and use the Cipher to make sure our people will stop consuming arcane energies and consume fel energies instead. All of them will serve me."_

_"What do you want us to do, milord?" Telonicus asked._

_"You, Solarian, Thaladred and Lord Sanguinar will find the location from where I can summon the elemental lords."_

_Capernian tilted her head and gave her master a curious look. "And what will I do?"_

_"You will help me in a different matter. A very important matter."_

_"And what will that be?"_

_Kael'thas smirked. "I will tell you as soon as we return to Tempest Keep. It has something to do with my legacy. That's all I say for now," he said and put a hand under her chin, caressing it. Capernian blushed as she returned his gaze. "I will do anything you demand from me."_

_His smirk became wider. "I'll come back to that."_

* * *

"Father?"

"Father?"

"Do you hear me?"

Kelrian blinked and turned his head, looking at his son who was regarding him with a worried look on his face. "I do. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to what you said. I was... distracted..."

The worry didn't vanish out of Raesh's face. "Another vision?" he asked.

Kelrian nodded but said nothing.

"A good or a bad one?"

"Well...," Kelrian paused and stared at the ceiling, reflecting what he had just seen. "I'm sure that what I have seen will not mean anything good for us."

"Do you want to tell me what you have seen?"

"I wish I could but I think I need to order my thoughts first. The vision contained lots of information..."

Raesh was silent at first. He looked thoughtful and worried. "I thought at first that the reason for your silence and the blank expression on your face was my confession. I feared you would be angry at me or disappointed in me," he said quietly and looked at his feet.

Kelrian regarded him for a few moments, then he got up from his chair and walked over to his son, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me, Raesh."

Raesh hesitated at first but then he lifted his head and looked at his father whose face reflected sympathy. "I doubt I will ever get disappointed in you. I will always be proud of you, no matter what you will do. Keep that in mind."

Raesh still sounded worried. "So you are okay with what I just told you?"

"Of course I am. I have no right to judge you because of your sexuality. If you prefer men, it's fine for me. As long as you are happy, I'm happy too. Your happiness is all that matters to me."

Raesh sighed out in relief. Receiving his father's approvement took a load off his mind. The worry vanished and was replaced by happiness. He felt much better than before as his father hugged him and patted his back. They stayed like this for a few minutes before they pulled away.

"I have been worried since I figured out that I like men. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders for quite some time. I was not sure if you would be happy or disappointed in me when you find out the truth."

"As you can see, I'm happy for you. I'm the last person who would judge anyone by their sexuality. We don't choose who we love. I fell in love with your mother but after her death, I fell in love with another woman. I don't regret that. I just regret that I haven't been able to save both of them. I was not there when your mother died nor did I manage to save Elena. Your sister killed her and I'm sure Elena is forced to serve the Lich King ever since."

Kelrian made a small pause as soon as he realized that he wandered off the topic. "What I wanted to say is that you are allowed to love whoever you want. You shouldn't listen to what the others say and do your own thing instead. We can be lucky that our society is very tolerant. I'm not sure about the other kingdoms but I heard that the night elves are very tolerant too. You have no reason to feel anxious. Our people will tolerate you if you show up with a nice man."

"Do you think mother will be as tolerant as you are?" Raesh asked, sounding a little insecure and worried.

Kelrian chuckled and patted his son's head. "As you know, your mother was together with Verena for ten years. If she wouldn't tolerate you because you prefer to be together with another man, then she would shoot herself in the foot, wouldn't she? Your mother may prefer men but she is also attracted to women." Kelrian paused for a short moment.

"She was a strong supporter of the acceptance of homosexuality when she was very young although she was not aware of her bisexuality at that time. She contributed a lot to the fact that homo-, bisexual and transgender people are tolerated by our society. There is no reason to be worried that she might judge you."

"So you think I should tell her?"

Kelrian nodded. "Of course I do. There is no reason to be afraid of her reaction. She may be moody sometimes but I doubt she would say anything negative to you when you confess to her. Nevertheless, you shouldn't confess to her when she is frustrated or when something bad happened. Like when one of her plans didn't work out. She might not want to listen to you when she is frustrated, so talk to her when she is in a good or neutral mood."

Raesh gave his father a thankful nod. "I will keep that in mind."

"I wish I could talk to you longer and ask more questions but I have to speak to Exadius about what I have seen. As soon as I return, you can tell me about your boyfriend and about anything else that's on your mind. Keep in mind that I will always love and respect you, so will anyone else who belongs to our family. You should tell your mother what you told me."

Raesh smiled and nodded at his father. "I will. Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me, my son. Tolerance is nothing you should be grateful for in our society. It is normal these days. Fortunately, you rarely meet intolerant people, at least in our society and the society of the night elves. Be careful when you are around others who are not elves."

"I will."

Kelrian hugged him one last time and patted his back before he created a portal within a few minutes and stepped through it.


	55. Merely A Setback

"Your sudden appearance can only mean that you saw the same vision as me," commented Exadius as Kelrian stepped into the room. "Your father plans something bad. We have a huge problem if he succeeds."

"You saw it too?" Kelrian asked surprised. "How is that possible?"

Exadius tapped his temple with two fingers. "I assume our telepathic connection is responsible for that."

"Makes sense," Kelrian responded.

"We shouldn't waste our time figuring out why I saw what you saw. We have to act quickly."

"I think we should analyse it first," said Kelrian.

"There is not much we can analyse there. Your father said clearly what he is planning," replied Exadius.

"You know that not all of my visions of the future come true, do you?"

"It's not a vision of the future. It's a vision of the past."

Kelrian tilted his head and raised a brow, giving his partner a confused look. "How do you know that?"

"Xertus just returned from his mission. I ordered him to keep an eye on your father. What Xertus saw matches the vision. It's safe to say that this is a vision of the past. Your father has the Cipher of Damnation and I doubt he will use it for good purposes."

Worry appeared in Kelrian's eyes. "With the elemental lords under his control, my father will try to claim Outland but he won't stop there. He wants to make our people addicted to fel magic. He wants them to serve him. If everyone changes as badly as Elena, my father and his advisors...I don't want to imagine what will happen then..."

"Nothing good. That's all we know for now. Your father has to be stopped. He will doom your people if we won't stop him before it is too late. The sin'dorei will become as crazy as these fanatics we fought not so long ago. Your people will become a danger to every other kingdom of the Alliance if Kael'thas' plan succeeds."

Kelrian looked more worried than before. "I get that we have to stop him but how? We can't just sneak into Tempest Keep without deactivating their security system first. But to be able to do that we have to wait until Shandris returns from her meeting with the draenei and tells us what she found out. We don't know when she will return..."

"We don't have that much time. We must act now. The earlier we stop him, the better it is. We just have to steal the Cipher of Damnation from him."

"We don't know where he is. He could have enslaved the elemental lords already and prepare the next step."

"He is still in Tempest Keep," responded Exadius. "His advisors are still looking for the elemental lords while he stays in the keep with Capernian and waits for their return."

"In the vision, he said he would return there with her but how can you be so sure that he is still there?" Kelrian asked.

"Xertus managed to get into the keep unnoticed. With his help, we will get inside without anyone noticing," explained the dreadlord.

"You want us to sneak in and steal the Cipher, don't you?"

Exadius nodded. "Maybe we can even capture your father. It would be great if we manage to do that."

A thoughtful look appeared on Kelrian's face. "This sounds dangerous..."

"It is dangerous. There is no way to deny that. We have to be very careful and move slowly. We have to trick their security measuresand reach your father unnoticed."

"That sounds easier than it is."

"You are not wrong about that, partner," responded the nathrezim.

"Shouldn't we inform Sylvanas and the others about what we know?" Kelrian asked. Doubt was clearly hearable in his voice.

"Normally yes. But too much valuable time will be wasted before we have gathered the majority of the leaders. Not to mention that they will need ages to come to an agreement. Until our allies made a decision, your father will have put his plan into action. We have to act now," said Exadius insistently.

"So what do we do?" Kelrian asked. He had no idea what they should do in this situation. He had the urge to inform the other leaders of the Alliance. Together they would be able to make up a good plan but that plan would be useless if his father would succeed and enslave the elemental lords of Outland. He knew that Exadius was right. They had to stop his father before it would be too late.

"We will enter the keep and destroy the Cipher. We will see what we will do about your father once this dangerous item is destroyed."

"My father is very powerful."

"Not as powerful as you are," replied Exadius. "Not to mention that Xertus and I are with you."

"He has lots of people who follow him," reminded Kelrian. "They will fight for him and give their lives for him if necessary. They follow him blindly."

"The mission has its risk but I have no doubt that we will be successful," responded the former king of the nathrezim.

"I still don't like that plan."

"Do you have a better plan?"

Kelrian shook his head. "No, I don't."

"See. My plan is the best we have. I will use my telepathic abilities to reach Xertus and tell him to create a portal to this place so that we can get into the keep."

Kelrian was not convinced by Exadius' plan but he knew they had no other choice. They had to act before it would be too late. Every second mattered. "I hope you have an idea of how we'll trick their security system."

"Have trust in my abilities and in yours as well."

"I don't doubt my abilities or yours. It's just... I'm not sure if we should go alone..."

The tone of Exadius' voice became a bit stricter and harsher. "We don't have the time to convince any of our allies for this mission. We are wasting too much time already. Now come before it is too late."

Kelrian said nothing for a few moments and then sighed. "Alright, let's do this."

Exadius' expression didn't change. There was not even a slight smile on his lips, signalizing Kelrian how serious the situation was. Exadius usually always slightly smiled but at this very moment, he didn't. He was not amused. He knew what had to be done and what would happen if they would fail. He knew how important their mission was.

The dreadlord closed his eyes and muttered a few words, pressing two fingers against his left temple. A few moments passed in which nothing happened but then a fel green portal appeared between them. Exadius opened his eyes and looked at his partner whose eyes still reflected worry.

None of them said a word as they stepped through the portal together. They came out in a small room which was barely tall enough for them and Xertus who was disguised as a Sunfury soldier, a loyalist of Kelrian's father. He held a shimmering object in his hand. "No one will see and hear us as long as this object is active," was the first thing Xertus said.

"The radius is not very large, right?" Kelrian asked.

"You are right about that, Lord Sunstrider. The dome created by it is large enough for us but we don't have much room for manoeuvre."

"Tell me what you know about this place. What do we have to keep in mind?"

"As long as we don't leave this dome, there is nothing we have to worry about."

"Can't we use spells that make us invisible?"

"Invisibility spells won't work in this place as long as the security system is active. The cameras will see us no matter which spells we use. So will their floating eyes. Only this certain artefact is able to hide us from the sights of these creatures."

"Floating eyes? You mean these demonic tentacle creatures which have countless eyes?" Kelrian asked irritated.

Xertus' gaze fell on his father whose facial expression had not changed. He looked back at Kelrian whose eyes were widened. "My father didn't tell you?" he asked irritated.

"Tell me what?" Kelrian hissed annoyedly.

"I discovered that your father..." He stopped and looked at his father who remained silent. He looked back at Kelrian who looked upset. "Your father made a pact with Kil'jaeden."

Kelrian's eyes were even wider than before and the shock was written all over his face. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He couldn't believe it because he didn't want to. He knew that the fel had made his father insane and unpredictable. Nevertheless, Kelrian had never imagined that his father would join the Burning Legion after everything that had happened.

The Burning Legion had created the Scourge which meant they were jointly responsible for the fall of Quel'Thalas. They were responsible for the destroyed lives and the suffering the sin'dorei had endured. They were responsible for Sylvanas' death and the deaths of numerous members of Kelrian's and Sylvanas' family. They were responsible for numerous bad things that had happened on Azeroth. They were the greatest evil in the universe and Kael'thas had decided to join them.

Kelrian was speechless. He felt betrayed. His father had already betrayed their people one time but now Kelrian had discovered that he had done it again. It felt like his father had hit him directly in the face. He could not believe that his father joined those who were responsible for the death of Sylvanas. His father's wife and parents died during the Scourge invasion. He should have every reason to hate the Burning Legion but it seemed he didn't hate them. On the contrary, he was working for them. Kelrian was sure that his father was nothing but a pawn for Kil'jaeden. A pawn he would drop as soon as he would no longer need him.

Kelrian was disappointed in his father, very disappointed. Before the discovery, he had asked himself if a part of the man he had looked up to still existed in his father. But now, after the discovery, he highly doubted it. His father would have never allied himself with the Burning Legion. He was gone. Kael'thas was nothing more than a madman who toyed with a power he didn't understand.

It hurt to accept the truth but Kelrian had no other choice. He had no time racking his brain about it. Their time was limited and they had already wasted too much time talking. Kelrian looked at Exadius who regarded him curiously. "We don't have time to argue about this. We will talk about why you withheld this important information from me later. We must hurry now."

Exadius nodded and looked at his son. "Follow me," said Xertus and walked to the room's exit. Kelrian and Exadius stayed very close to him as they followed him. They left the broom closet and came into a long corridor which floor and walls were purple. Due to their special eyes, they spotted lots of hidden cameras and special crystals in the ceiling and the walls. They were recording what was going on in the corridor.

The absence of a ringing alarm made Kelrian and Exadius realise that the object was working. No recording object saw them. They were able to follow the course of the corridor quickly without getting seen by anyone or anything.

They came into a hall in which dozens of Kael'thas' men were gathered. They talked, practised their skills or did other things. Some of them looked very strange. The green colour of their eyes was much darker than the colour of the eyes of the sin'dorei on Azeroth. Their bodies were much taller than the bodies of those who were not serving the former king of the sin' most obvious differences were the skin colours of those individuals and the small horns that came out of the foreheads of some of them. Their skins showed brown, light blue, grey and even dark-red colours. Their appearances looked anything but natural.

"By the Sunwell..., shouted Kelrian and covered his mouth immediately. His heart stopped for a moment but then he realized that these elves couldn't hear them due to the object Xertus was holding.

"This is proof enough that your father made a pact with the Burning Legion. Kil'jaeden showed your father how to make his men stronger and much deadlier. The fel corrupted them and turned them into these creatures," told Exadius.

"Except for the horns, they still look humanoid...But their skin...Maybe they are not totally lost..."

Exadius looked at his partner, signalizing him to move faster. Kelrian obeyed without hesitation. "We don't have the time to worry about them. We will prevent your father's plans and then we will figure out if we can help these... felblood elves."

They left the hall eventually, walked through another corridor and arrived in another hall. They spotted more felblood elves and other creatures that were far eviler than them. Demons. There were lots of them. Wrathguards, imps, succubi, mo'arg, observers, satyr and even shivarra.

Kelrian's face was a mask of shock. "By the titans... Look how many demons he gathered..."

"There are more of them in other halls and rooms. Kil'jaeden gifted your father an entire army which will pose a serious threat to the Alliance if he brings the elemental lords under his control," explained Xertus.

"We can't allow him to succeed," Kelrian replied strictly.

"No, we can't," said Xertus.

"You are too slow," scolded Xertus' father. "The more time we waste, the higher the chances are that Kael'thas' advisors return. It's very likely that your father will leave this place as soon as his advisors tell him the location from which he can summon the elemental lords. We have to reach him before that happens."

They walked faster, coming to a staircase eventually. They took the staircase and arrived in a small hall. Half a dozen loyalists and two crystal golems guarded the empty hall. As expected, not even the golems with their magical vision could see them. Kelrian and the nathrezim walked through the hall's exit and followed the bothering corridor. The corridor split into three corridors which were much thinner.

Xertus pointed at the right corridor. "This way leads to Kael'thas' private chamber. He was often there the past days. When he was not there, he was either in the library or in the main hall."

"We should check his private chamber first," said Exadius.

"I agree with you," responded Kelrian.

They followed the corridor, passing more felblood elves, demons and crystal golems. At the end of the corridor was ahuge door in front of which a dozen felblood elves and five wrathguards stood. The door was closed, meaning that they could not enter the room without the guards getting suspicious. They had to find a way to sneak into the room.

"What do we do now?" Kelrian asked.

"That's a good question," muttered Exadius.

"I might have an idea," said Xertus.

Kelrian and Exadius looked at him. "Go ahead and tell us what you have in mind," they demanded.

"One of us can impersonate Kael'thas and enter the room freely," told Xertus.

"So you suggest that one of us takes his appearance and acts as he does, right? That person will walk to the room and the guards will open the door. The others will be still invisible and slip into the room as soon as the door open. Am I right about this?" Kelrian asked.

Xertus nodded. "You are."

"And what if the guards see through our trick?" Kelrian asked worriedly.

"Then we have a problem," replied Xertus.

"Many of them will be dead before they even realize what is happening. I have no doubt we can deal with them," said Exadius. He was bursting with self-confidence.

"Three against seventeen...I'm not sure about that."

"They won't be seventeen when the fight really begins. If we act quickly, we can kill at least seven of them before they notice that we are here. We should strike as soon as we notice the first signs of doubt on their faces," responded the golden-eyed dreadlord.

"I'm not convinced of the plan but it seems that we have no other choice," Kelrian said. "Who will take his appearance?"

Xertus pointed at himself. "I watched your father for quite a while, so I should be the one who pretends to be him. I studied his behaviour, his quirks and took a closer look at the way he moves. I even know how he speaks and stresses certain words. I know which sentences he would say often and which not. I'm familiar with his linguistic style. I have no doubt that I can imitate him and convince the guards that I'm truly him."

Kelrian thought about it for a few moments. "We have to try. I just wish we had more time to plan everything. Things would be so much easier with backup."

"We have no other choice. And we don't have much time. Let's do it now," said Exadius strictly. He gave his son a demanding look, receiving a nod from him. Xertus' shape began to change, the transformation proceeded much faster than Kelrian had expected. Xertus looked exactly like Kael'thas and he even sounded like him. "I'm tired of standing in this boring corridor, let's go to my room."

Xertus gave Kelrian the object, stepped out of the dome and walked around the corner behind which they had been hiding. He walked straight towards the room, a small smile could be seen on his lips and his face reflected self-confidence.

Kelrian and Exadius followed him, noticing that Xertus was indeed moving the same way as Kael'thas had in the vision. He was impersonating him well so far. Kelrian was certain that if he wouldn't know the truth, he would believe that Xertus was his father. He could only hope that the guards would also believe it.

Xertus came to the guards who bowed to him and greeted him. Xertus nodded at them but didn't say anything. He looked at the door which was opened a few moments later. He stepped through the entrance and so did Kelrian and Exadius. The door was closed a few moments later.

Kelrian let his gaze wander. The private chamber was much larger than his father's former private chamber in Sunfury Spire. The walls were crimson red, the floor was covered by a purple carpet. The windows on the right side of the room were made out of purple crystals. There were lots of shelves on the opposite side which were filled to the brim with books.

The room's furniture looked very expensive, lots of opened books were scattered all over the huge wooden table in the middle of the room. Lots of tiny felstones that were part of the huge chandelier illuminated the room. Kelrian had expected to see more green objects in the room. But except for the chandelier, nothing else in the room was green. The room was furnished similar to Kael'thas' former room in Silvermoon.

Kelrian's eyes fell on the king-sized bed on the other side of the room. There was an elf lying on it but it was not the elf they were looking for. It was Grand Astromancer Capernian who wore fewer pieces of clothes than Kelrian and the nathrezim had expected. Except for her crimson red g-string, she was totally naked. Kelrian's eyes fell on her large breasts, his brain automatically compared them to Sylvanas' breasts which were slightly smaller. His gaze rested on her rounds longer than he had wanted but he managed to avert his gaze eventually. He fixed his gaze on her beautiful face, preventing himself from examining her nude form once again.

He noticed that even Exadius had troubles to keep his gaze on her face. That didn't surprise him at all. He knew that Exadius had had a relationship with his former mistress Alyssa Felspeaker when he had served the Legion. It had not been a romantic relationship. Kelrian knew that Alyssa hadn't had any romantic feelings for him. She had just used him to satisfy her lower desires and Exadius had done the same.

It was obvious that Exadius was attracted to elves. His son, on the other hand, was not. Xertus was not attracted to Capernian but he pretended to be flashed by her beautiful form. He knew that Kael'thas and the grand astromancer had something going on, so he acted as Kael'thas would act in this situation. He grinned at the female blood elf and regarded her body from head to toe, signalizing her that he enjoyed what he was seeing.

Capernian approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at him. "You returned much earlier than I have expected. I thought you would stay in the library much longer."

"I decided to take a pause for now but I will go back to the library later," Xertus responded.

Capernian's grin became larger. "I'm glad you decided to come back to me."

Xertus put a hand beneath her chin and caressed it, returning her smile.

Exadius averted his gaze and looked at Kelrian. "Your father is in the library. We have to go now before he leaves it."

"What about Xertus?"

"He will stay here and distract Capernian."

Kelrian frowned. "Wouldn't Capernian become suspicious if we open the door and leave? Not to mention that the guards will be suspicious too if the door is opened but no one leaves the room."

Exadius looked at Xertus and Capernian. "She is too distracted to notice anything. She is not even looking in the direction of the door."

Kelrian looked at them too, noticing that they were kissing each other. "I suppose you take my father's appearance."

"Already done," Exadius said with Kael'thas' voice. Kelrian turned his head, noticing that Exadius looked like his father.

"We don't even know where the library is," exclaimed Kelrian.

Exadius smirked. "My son told me where it is. Telepathy is a very useful technique."

Kelrian exhaled. "Fine. We should go now."

Exadius stepped out of the dome and opened the door, leaving the room. Kelrian followed him quickly. They walked back and took the middle path this time. They rushed through the bordering corridors and arrived in front of the library. As expected, it was heavily guarded but the loyalists allowed Exadius to enter.

The library was huge, much huger than Kelrian had imagined. It was much larger than the libraries in Silvermoon and Dalaran. Quite a lot of knowledge was accumulated there. Each shelf was very long, reached to the high ceiling and contained hundreds of books. Kelrian wondered what all of these books were about. When he had been a student in Dalaran, he would have loved to spent weeks in the library and read in various books. This library would have been a paradise for him.

He knew he didn't have the time to take a closer look at the content of each shelf but he was hoping he could do that after they had stopped his father. He was sure he could learn lots of useful things.

Kelrian checked his surroundings, noticing that not many loyalists were in the first sector of the library. Exadius took a closer look at those he was seeing, realising that they were not looking at him. He let his gaze wander, checking the sector for cameras. He saw none, so he took advantage of the moment in which no one was looking at him and gave his partner a signal. Exadius stepped into the dome and became invisible. He changed his appearance and took his original form.

"Now we only have to find my father," Kelrian said.

"He must be somewhere. Try to find his aura."

"What if his aura has changed because of the negative influence of the fel?"

"Then look for an aura which is similar to his. I doubt that his aura changed that much," told the dreadlord.

"I hope you are right about that."

Against their expectations, they found Kael'thas within a short amount of time. He sat at a table on which many opened books were scattered. He was reading but he was not alone. His advisors stood around him and looked in different directions as if they were keeping an eye out for any intruders. All of his advisors were present, even Capernian. Kelrian's eyes were widened in surprise as he gave Exadius a questioning look. "Why is she here? She should still be in my father's room... Unless..."

"Either she teleported there or the grand astromancer we saw in the private chamber is someone else in truth..."

"If that's the case who is the one Xertus is distracting?" The confusion was clearly visible on his face.

"I have no idea... I scanned her with my eyes. She was not an illusion and I'm certain that no one took her appearance. At least no nathrezim. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Exadius was silent for a few moments, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. "Unless Kil'jaeden told my former subjects how to hide from me."

"Is that possible?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. You haven't noticed anything unusual about her, have you?"

"I didn't notice anything wrong about her. My right eye works the same way yours do. If they found a way to hide from your superior vision, then they can hide from me too."

"If someone impersonates Capernian, my son might be in trouble."

"Let's hope he will deal with the situation."

"I have faith in him. I'm sure he can handle the situation," said Exadius. "We should concentrate on the mission, on your father."

"We must get rid of his advisors. Any idea of how we do that?" Kelrian asked.

Exadius let his sword appear. "Seems we have to solve it the hard way. It has been a long time since my sword tasted fresh blood. I will take care of his advisors while you will keep your father busy. I have no idea how powerful Kil'jaeden made him but I have faith in you. With your eye, your hand and Drak'tar, you should be able to defeat him."

"Well, defeating him is one thing but not killing him in the process is another story."

"Try your best. We have to stop him by any means, keep that in mind. If he dies, he dies. All that matters is that we destroy the Cipher of Damnation. Don't forget that."

Kelrian exhaled loudly. He was about to say something as a spell hit Exadius and threw him away. Exadius collided with one of the many shelves and rebounded, landing on the floor. He tried to get up but green energy tendrils appeared out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around his body. They kept him on the floor and prevented him from getting up.

Xertus and a woman Kelrian didn't know appeared next to Exadius. Xertus did nothing to help his father. He just stood there and looked down at him, a vacant look could be seen on his face. Exadius' eyes narrowed, anger was reflected by his face as he realized what was going on.

"Traitor...," he spat out. "You planned this from the beginning, didn't you? You lured us into a trap..."

His son's expression didn't change nor did he say anything. He just stood there and looked at him. Exadius gaze fell on the woman next to Xertus. "Alyssa... I thought I killed you..."

"I didn't die as you can see. I returned to the Twisting Nether after you stabbed me in the back."

"That's impossible. You are not a demon who was born in the Twisting Nether. You are just a night elf who was corrupted by fel magic. You shouldn't be able to return to it," hissed Exadius.

Alyssa grinned. "You thought you know me but in truth, you know only so little of me. You have no idea what Lord Kil'jaeden turned me into. I'm a full demon just like you. I'm no half-breed, I'm a full-breed."

"You cast the spell, didn't you? How did you see us?"

"Your son told me how to see those who use this special object."

Exadius didn't get the chance to say anything in return. Alyssa put a hand on Exadius' head and muttered a few phrases. Exadius resisted as long as he could but the tendrils drained his power, making him weaker and weaker. He became so weak that he was not able to resist the spell which made him lose consciousness.

"You are Exadius' former boss, aren't you?" Kelrian asked as he regarded Alyssa from head to toe. She was as tall as him, had crimson-red skin, fel green eyes and huge and curved black horns that came out of her forehead. She wore a fel green armour and carried a mace in her hand.

Alyssa turned around, looking at Kelrian. "I am. My name is Alyssa Felspeaker and I'm Kil'jaeden's right hand."

Scorn was reflected in Kelrian's eyes as they fell on his father. "So it's true what Xertus said. You made a pact with Kil'jaeden."

"I did. It's the only way to save the sin'dorei."

Kelrian snorted. "Save the sin'dorei... They don't need to be saved, especially not if it includes selling their souls to the Burning Legion... I thought you were a smart and reasonable man, father... Seems I was wrong...I can't believe you did this..." The disappointment was clearly hearable in Kelrian's voice and clearly visible in his eyes. He still could not believe that his father had allied himself with the Burning Legion.

"The sin'dorei suffered heavy losses in the Third War and more people will die in the approaching war against the Scourge. Only little of our people will be left when Arthas will be finally defeated. With the help of the Burning Legion, we will defeat the Scourge much sooner without losing too many people."

"The Burning Legion is only using you, father. You are nothing but a tool in their eyes. A tool they use to achieve their goals. Don't you realize that? It was the Burning Legion who created the Scourge and the Lich King. If it were not for them, our kingdom would still stand and the population would be larger than one million. Numerous lives wouldn't have been destroyed if the Burning Legion wouldn't have tried to conquer Azeroth."

Kael'thas tilted his head a little, silently regarded his son for a few moments before he responded. "You live in the past, my son. All you do is to consider the past and blame the Burning Legion for what they did. We cannot change the past but we can change the future. I'm convinced that the Burning Legion will help our people. They will help us to cleanse Azeroth from the Scourge and all unworthy races. They will help us to get rid of those who betrayed us and did not help us in the Third War. Humans, dwarves, worgen and all the other worthless races."

Kelrian shook his head disappointedly. "You are insane. Do you even realize what you are saying? Do you realize that only bullshit leaves your mouth? Every aspect of your explanation is wrong. It's just wrong. There are other ways to save our people. Making a pact with the Burning Legion was the biggest mistake you could ever make. You will doom our people, don't you realize that? They will be nothing but slaves who do whatever the Burning Legion demands from them. Kil'jaeden will use them as cannon fodder to conquer Azeroth. He doesn't care if all of us will die in the process. All that matters for the Burning Legion is the destruction of our world."

Laughter escaped Kael'thas lips. "You don't know Master Kil'jaeden at all. You have no idea what he is like and what exactly he said to me. He promised me to save our people and bring them back to glory. I will make sure that the sin'dorei will become as powerful and influential as they once were. I will redeem them and build an empire which will last forever."

Kelrian clenched his fist angrily. "You cannot trust a demon, especially not Kil'jaeden. He is called the Deceiver for a reason. He is lying to you and you are just too blind to realize it."

Kael'thas laughed again. "You are judging me for trusting a demon but you are not much better than I. You also trust a demon, don't try to deny it. You are trusting him with your life, aren't you? You see, the apple never falls far from the tree."

"Exadius is the entire opposite of Kil'jaeden. He never wanted to serve the Legion nor had he wanted to invade and destroy countless worlds. He is one of the few demons who are not evil. Unlike your master."

"Evil and villainy depend on the view of the observer. Your view is wrong. Kil'jaeden is not evil, he is our only chance to survive."

Kelrian spat at the floor, anger was reflected by his face. "Speaking with you is pointless. You will never realize how wrong you are no matter what will I say."

Kael'thas tilted his head. "You will never realize how right I am, at least not without help. But don't worry, I will convince you that I'm right. I will open your eyes and make you realize that working for Kil'jaeden is the only way for our people to survive."

Kelrian snorted and let his gaze wander. He was surrounded by Alyssa, Xertus, his father's advisors and serval Sunfury soldiers. He was strong but not strong enough to deal with all of them. His only chance to escape was to use the hearthstone he always hid in the sleeve of his armour. He moved his left forearm in a certain way, causing the hearthstone to slip out of the sleeve. He caught it and hid it in the palm of his hand. He let his gaze wander, noticing that none of them had noticed anything.

Kael'thas' advisors were coming closer but Kelrian would be somewhere else before they would reach him. At least that was what he had expected. His eyes widened as he realized that the hearthstone was not working. He ran his thumb over the runic symbol engraved in the object but nothing happened. His hearthstone was not working and he had no idea why. He remained calm, not wanting to show his enemies that he was troubled.

He tried to use the hearthstone for the third time but nothing happened. He could only assume that a powerful spell was preventing him from escaping. He had no other choice than to fight. He pulled his sword from his back but a spell hit him before he could do anything. The spell had flown so fast that he had not seen it coming. Kelrian was thrown away and landed on the floor.

He tried to get up but his body didn't obey him. His muscles tingled but his body didn't move. No matter how hard he tried to get up, his body didn't obey. He was paralysed. His father's advisors came to him and looked down at him. Even his father and Alyssa approached him and regarded him. A wide smile and a large amount of joy could be seen on his father's face. The mad king regarded his son for a few moments before he looked at Lord Sanguinar. "Bring him to Dr. Sivallah's laboratory and make sure he cannot escape."

Lord Sanguinar nodded. "As you wish, your majesty."


	56. The Doctor

_He turned his head and looked at the creature that hovered above the floor and stared at him. At least he assumed it stared at him because he had no proof that it actually did that. It had no eyes which could rest on him, so it was hard to tell for him if it was really looking at him. Nevertheless, he was certain it was seeing him due to its magical abilities. It regarded him as one piece of armour after another was put on him._

_The servants of the light treated each piece of armour with extreme carefulness because they didn't want to drop, scratch or damage it. They put on his shoes, greaves and his upper thigh armour first. They continued with the vest and coat of chain mail which were also golden like the rest of his armour._

_The man lifted his left hand and signalized the servants to stop. They obeyed but gave him irritated looks before they looked at the creature next to him. "Is the chain mail really necessary?" he asked the sentient ancient being which was still watching him._

_"It is. The light might have chosen you but that doesn't make you invincible. You need the right armour and the right weapon to defeat your enemies. OUR enemies." The creature's voice was warm and very high. It was pleasant to hear and soothed him._

_"Alright. I will wear the chain mail if you wish, Z'eru," he said._

_The ancient being didn't respond to him. It remained on its spot, some of its fragments rotated around the rest of its body. The humans, blood elves and draenei continued to put on his new armour. The breastplate and shoulder plates were the next pieces of armour that were put on. His upper arm armour and his gauntlets followed quickly. The only piece that was missing was his helmet._

_He turned his head, looking at the tall male draenei that held a helmet in his hands. Like the rest of his armour, it was also golden. Small runes were engraved in the visor and the skull cap. The draenei walked behind him and lifted the helmet above his head. He slowly lowered it and carefully placed it on top of the man's head._

_The man closed his eyes as he felt the power rush through his body when the armour was finally complete. He wore all pieces of the legendary armour of the previous Chosen. He felt so powerful. He felt as if he could crush mountains with his bare fists. He felt better than ever._

_The power made him self-confident. Nevertheless, he remained calm. He knew he was neither invincible nor unstoppable. He knew that his gifted power didn't make him the strongest creature in the universe. His power was not unlimited and he had to use it wisely._

_The man regarded his gloved hands for a few moments before got up from the throne-like chair. His golden eyes fell on the sentient energy being. "What do you want me to do first, Z'eru?"_

_"You need to retrieve the remains of the sword your predecessor swung. We need to reforge it but to be able to do that you have to find all three pieces."_

_"Where do I find them?" he asked._

_The energy being didn't answer him immediately. It waited until a female draenei had approached the curious man and handed him a golden splinter. "This is a splinter of the sword's blade. Use it to find all three pieces."_

_The man nodded. "As you wish, Z'eru._

* * *

Sylvanas walked from one corner to another and then back to the first. She was nervous and worried. Very worried. A week had passed since Raesh had told her that Kelrian left to meet Exadius. That was the last time Kelrian had been seen. She had no idea where he went nor did she know what he had seen in the vision. She feared the worst. She didn't want to imagine what could have happened to Kelrian in the meantime.

She hoped he was alright and would return to her soon. She would never lose hope, no matter how bad the situation looked. She had faith, knowing that Kelrian was very strong. She knew he could take care of himself but she was worried nevertheless. She was always worried about the ones she loved.

Sylvanas walked back to the other corner of the room, turned around and looked at her sisters who regarded her, the worry in their eyes couldn't be overseen. They sat on chairs and regarded their middle sister since they had entered the room. They knew that Kelrian's disappearance really troubled Sylvanas. It was not the first time he had vanished but there was still reason enough to worry.

The last time Kelrian had vanished, he was gone for four years. These four years had been very difficult for Sylvanas. Living without Kelrian had been a real torment for her. She had hated every day where Kelrian had not been there. She had struggled with depressions then and only her thirst for vengeance had motivated her to keep going.

She had been so happy when Kelrian had returned but now he had disappeared again. Like the last time, she had no idea where he was. The Alliance had only one clue but Exadius' whereabouts were not known to her. Not even Exadius' children knew where he went. They were investigating his and Kelrian's disappearance and but they had not found anything yet. They were Sylvanas' only hope.

Alleria got up from her chair eventually and walked to Sylvanas, stopping in front of her. Sylvanas tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow, looking at her curiously. "You need to calm down, Sylvanas," Alleria said quietly.

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when Kelrian is still missing? He could be anywhere and anything bad could happen to him. How am I supposed to calm down when I don't know how he is doing? I don't even know if he is still alive."

Alleria took a deep breath. "Kelrian is a tough man. He is much stronger than we ever imagined. I'm sure he is able to deal with any threat."

"He is not immortal nor is he undefeatable. He might be strong but he is just a mortal and not a god. Even he can be defeated."

"Unfortunately, we have no idea where he went with Exadius."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed as she heard that name. "I'm asking myself if trusting that demon was a mistake. Maybe we should have taken a much closer look at him before giving him military information. What if Exadius kidnapped him?"

"We don't know much about him but we know that Kelrian trusted him. I don't want to be prejudiced against him but... He is a demon and we know that demons would do anything to achieve their goals. They lie, manipulate and kill to get what they want... What if..." A thoughtful look could be seen on Alleria's face.

"What if Exadius behaved nicely in front of us to gain our approval? What if he manipulated Kelrian to trust him? What if Exadius is just one of these fel-sucking bastards who pretend to be our allies but are in truth our enemies?" Sylvanas was more worried than before.

"I always told you that I have my problems when it comes to trusting demons and working with them," replied Alleria. "I told you that I do not trust Varimathras and that the same counts for Exadius and Balnazzar."

"Varimathras... Since I discovered that Balnazzar is still alive, I doubt his loyalty from time to time... He may have killed his brother when I gave him the order but the newest discovery puts everything in a different light. He killed his brother knowing that he would not really die, and he even withheld that information from me..."

Alleria put a hand on Sylvanas' shoulder. "You should be careful who you trust, sister. I will never judge you, keep that in mind. I care for you, so I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm worried that Varimathras might do something bad one day."

Sylvanas gave her a small nod. "Seems I need to have a serious conversation with Varimathras."

"You should talk to him."

"But first we have to find Kelrian. I will not rest until we found out where he went."

Alleria sighed. "I don't want to sound pessimistic but..."

Sylvanas raised a brow, a frown appeared on her forehead and an upset expression could be seen on her face. "What?"

Alleria swallowed. "Well, except for Exadius, we have no other clues which we could follow. We have no idea where we should start looking for."

Sylvanas didn't look pleased. "I know that already. You don't have to tell me that again."

"I'm sorry, Sylvanas. I didn't want to annoy you or make you upset. I'm here to comfort you."

"You have been doing a terrible job so far," hissed Sylvanas and turned around, walking away from Alleria.

Alleria frowned. She was aware of Sylvanas' mood swings and her lash outs when she was angry or stressed. She had gotten known to her undead sister over the past years, so she knew that she could be happy one moment and very mad in the next moment. Her mood could swing dramatically in a matter of seconds.

She was a really complicated person and dealing with her was a real challenge sometimes. Helping her sister was not always easy but Alleria always did everything in her power to support her sister and make her feel better. So did every other member of their family. As Sylvanas' older sister, it was Alleria's duty to take care of her and comfort her. Sylvanas could be insufferable from time to time but Alleria always stayed calm and tried to bear Sylvanas' mood swings as best as she could.

"I'm sorry that I'm not able to comfort you, Sylvanas. I try my best but it is not enough this time. I'm sorry."

"I don't need your comfort," hissed Sylvanas. "I need hints about Kelrian's whereabouts. I need to know if he is alright. That's all I need."

"Unfortunately, we don't know where he is," muttered the Regent Lady.

"All we can hope for is that Exadius' children find out where they are," said Vereesa.

Sylvanas turned her head to look at her younger sister. "If Exadius betrayed us, I doubt his children will give us any information."

"We don't know yet if he kidnapped Kelrian. We shouldn't accuse him before we have any proofs. His children gave us useful information about Whitemane, Illidan and Kael'thas. We checked these pieces of information and it turned out they were right. Whitemane is planning an offence against us and Kael'thas tried to use the Cipher of Damnation to subjugate the elemental lords of Outland. If it weren't for them, Kael'thas' plan would have been successful. Thanks to Xatorious' information, we managed to track him on Outland and destroy the Cipher of Damnation. He may have escaped but at least he didn't strengthen his army."

"You are right about that, Vereesa. I forgot about that in my anger. I'm sorry," replied Sylvanas.

"Have you ever considered the possibility that the mad king kidnapped father?" Raesh asked. Sylvanas turned her head to look in the direction where Raesh's voice came from. He was standing near the entrance of the room and regarded his mother and aunts curiously. She had not noticed him entering the room.

"Of course we have," said Vereesa. "We even smuggled a few spies into Tempest Keep but they didn't return yet..."

"It's very likely that they are dead," replied Sylvanas.

"Don't say that. They could still be alive."

"They would have already reported to us if they were still alive. I would not count on them, Vereesa."

Vereesa sighed. "I still have hopes that they are still alive. Maybe they just didn't have the opportunity to leave Tempest Keep unnoticed."

"Maybe... It seems we have to put our faith in the hands of these dreadlords which you seem to trust," said the Banshee Queen.

"I do not trust them. I just said that they provided us with useful information. Without them, Kael'thas would have succeeded in enslaving the elemental lords. Imagine what a threat he would pose with them by his side."

"That would have been a problem indeed," Sylvanas said quietly.

"Since we started working with the draenei, we are making progress in forcing back Kael'thas' forces. As you know, he is still in conflict with Illidan Stormrage and large portions of their forces are constantly clashing. He cannot send all of his forces against us, which makes our chances of victory higher. If we win more battles, we might get very close to Tempest Keep and then we can assault it and confront Kael'thas. If we capture him, only Illidan remains. We have to take care of him too," said Alleria.

"I can't wait until we dealt with the threats on Outland so that we can finally focus on our main problem again. The Scourge is still active in the Plaguelands and their numbers in Northrend increase with each passing day. They are getting stronger and stronger while we have to spend valuable lives and resources to deal with these traitors," replied the undead elf. "But first, we have to find Kelrian."

"You will see your loverboy soon," said a cold voice. "I know where he is."

Sylvanas turned around, a curious look could be seen on her face as she looked at the woman who had just entered the room. A small amount of hope could be seen in her crimson red eyes.

Danara stood in the door, looking perfect as always. Her blood-red hair was made in a ponytail, her golden-red armour was undamaged as always. Her fel green eyes rested on the Banshee Queen.

"Where is he?" Sylvanas asked impatiently. For the first time of the day, she seemed to be positive and her voice didn't reflect coldness or frustration.

"He is in Tempest Keep."

Sylvanas' eyes widened but she was not the only one who was very surprised by the news. Vereesa, Alleria and Raesh had similar expressions on their faces. They had not expected Kelrian to be there.

"As an undercover agent or as a prisoner?"

"Unfortunately, as a prisoner."

Worry appeared in Sylvanas' eyes. "But how... How did he get caught? Did your father..." She didn't finish her sentence.

Danara shook her head. "My father didn't betray us if that's what you think. I have no idea why but it seemed that they went to Tempest Keep and got caught there. I suggest that they heard of the Cipher of Damnation much earlier than us and wanted to stop Kael'thas before he could use it.

According to those loyalists I kidnapped and interrogated, Kelrian and Exadius had not been seen until they confronted Kael'thas. They probably sneaked into the fortress but were caught somehow. I didn't find out how they got in there but something tells me that they had help by someone. It's possible that the same person betrayed them. Unfortunately, I didn't find out who accompanied them."

Thoughtful looks could be seen on the faces of everyone. Sylvanas was the first who stopped looking thoughtful and started looking determined instead. "If he is there, we have to free him before Kael'thas corrupts him. Who knows what he is capable of?"

"Nothing good, I assume. As you already know, Kael'thas allied himself with the Burning Legion which has a great interest in putting my father back under their control. It's not unlikely that they will try the same with Kelrian," told Danara.

"We have to rescue him and stop Kael'thas before it is too late," hissed Sylvanas.

Danara nodded. "I will bring those remaining demons, who serve my family, to Outland and assist your forces there. Let's hope we reach Tempest Keep before it's too late."

* * *

His ears were buzzing, his head was hurting and his skin was tingling uncomfortably. Sometimes his vision was clear, sometimes it was blurred, It changed from moment to moment. Kelrian had no idea what Lord Sanguinar had injected him but he assumed it was nothing good. He felt uncomfortable, very uncomfortable.

He spotted someone out of the corner of his left eye but he was not able to see enough of that creature. He saw a red sleeve which could belong to his father's robe but it could also belong to any other loyalist who wore a red robe. The creature near him didn't have to be his father.

Kelrian still couldn't believe that everything had gone down the tube. He had had his doubts before the beginning of the mission but he had trusted Exadius, so he had gone with him and his traitorous son. He regretted that he went with Exadius without informing Sylvanas first. He should have told his family about their mission. He shouldn't have gone with the dreadlords to Tempest Keep without reinforcements. He had blindly trusted Exadius and that had been his doom. His blind trust had brought him into his current situation.

He couldn't have known that Xertus would betray them. He had fought by his side for months against Kil'jaeden's agents. He had saved his lives a few times and Xertus had saved his one time. He had established a relationship with Xertus and even considered him a friend. His betrayal really hurt Kelrian but he had other things to worry about at this moment.

He had no idea what his father would do to him. He assumed that he wanted to bring him on his side by corrupting him or brainwashing him. He had no doubt his father would try everything to break his mind. But Kelrian had promised himself to stay strong. He will do anything in his power to resist his father's attempts to get him on his side. He had no idea if he would succeed in the long run. He could only hope that someone will rescue him. Until then, he had to hold out but that was easier said than done. The pain which had been inflicted to him had been bad but not too worse. He knew they could make the pain much worse if they wanted to.

The creature, Kelrian had seen out of the corner of his eye, finally stepped in his view. They were blurred at first but then they became clearer. It was a female felblood elf with ashen grey skin and bone-white hair that reached to her shoulders. Her deep green eyes rested on him. She wore a pair of glasses, her robe was crimson red. She carried a clipboard and a pen in her hands and gave Kelrian a curious look.

"How are you doing?" she asked. Her annoying high-pitched voice rang in his ears.

Kelrian didn't answer her. He just stared at her, his eyes were narrowed eyes and reflected anger. The woman raised a brow. "I asked you something," she said with a strict voice.

Kelrian refused to answer.

The woman sighed. "We can do it the easy way or the hard way. It is up to you."

Kelrian remained silent.

The woman sighed again. "Seems we have to do it the hard way to make you speak." She turned her head and looked in a certain direction. Kelrian was not able to turn his head, so he was not able to see where the doctor was looking. He guessed that someone else was in the room.

"Delrissa would you come and aid me with the patient?" asked the felblood elf.

"As you wish, Doctor Sivallah."

A six-armed female demon came in Kelrian's sight. It was a shivarra with light purple skin and red-golden armour that covered her knees, her lower legs and most of her upper body. Her arms, her belly and her upper thighs were uncovered. So was her beautiful face. Her green eyes were glowing brightly, her red lips were pressed together.

"The patient refuses to communicate with me. You know what you have to do, priestess," said the doctor.

The shivarra put two of her six hands on Kelrian's head. Nothing happened in the first seconds but then his temples started to hurt. The pain got worse and spread quickly until his whole head hurt. The pain was bearable at first but it got more and more intense the more time passed. After a while, Kelrian had the impression that his head would explode at any moment. Fortunately, it didn't. Kelrian was still able to bear the pain somehow, so he didn't give in. Delrissa removed her hands eventually and looked at Doctor Sivallah.

"Do you want to talk now?" the felblood elf asked.

Kelrian's head was still hurting, even though the shivarra had removed her hands. The after-effect was much worse than Kelrian had expected. He was barely able to concentrate but even if he wouldn't feel any pain, he would not answer the doctor. He knew that nothing good would happen if he would allow the doctor to do what she was planning to do to him. He had no intention to cooperate with her and speak to her.

"I think he is still dazed from the pain I inflicted to him," said Delrissa.

"Alright, we'll give him a few minutes. If he won't answer again you can repeat the procedure."

"As you wish, doctor."

Kelrian didn't hear what they were talking about. Their voices were unrecognizable and drowned out by the pain which got worse after a while. Delrissa was torturing him again. He heard voices but they were much quieter this time. He was able to hear his own heartbeat. It was very fast and extremely loud. He had no idea why it was so loud.

He passed out at some point.

When Kelrian was conscious again, he realized that he was not wearing any clothes. He was not able to lift his head, so he could not examine himself to see if they had done something to him. His body felt numb at first but the more time passed the more parts of his body he was able to feel again. He was able to move his feet a little, his toes and even his hands and all of his ten fingers. He was able to turn his head a little to the right side, spotting Delrissa who was standing in front of a table. Unfortunately, he was able to see what was on the table.

He turned his head a little to the left, spotting nothing. Doctor Sivallah was nowhere to be found. But the doctor was not missing for too long. She came into the room after a few minutes, a satisfied expression could be seen on her face. She looked less tense than before, almost relaxed. She wore a different robe whose colour was much darker than the first one. She stepped to Kelrian and licked her lips as she regarded his nude form from head to toe. "Now I understand why the Banshee Queen couldn't get enough of you. You have a wonderful body indeed. I almost feel bad that I have to ruin this perfection of a body but I have my orders."

Doctor Sivallah stepped closer to Kelrian and put a hand on his chest, running her hand over his muscles. "You don't have to worry, my prince. You will be perfect again as soon as I'm done with you. Lord Kil'jaeden will make you stronger than you could have ever imagined. You will crush our enemies in his name and no one will be able to stop you."

"I will never serve the Legion," Kelrian hissed. "Not in a million years." Kelrian's eyes were narrowed and reflected determination.

Doctor Sivallah raised an eyebrow, a small amount of surprise was visible in her eyes. "He speaks. What a surprise. I almost thought you were mute."

The doctor looked at the shivarra. "Did you think he would talk willingly, Delrissa?"

"No, I didn't."

"I'm glad he did. That way, I won my bet against Lord Xertus. I really wanted to have that necklace. It matches perfectly with my hair."

"You tortured me for a damn necklace?" Kelrian shouted outraged.

Doctor Sivallah's lips formed a sadistic smile. "I did. It's just a common necklace which has no useful abilities but I like its look. I wanted it but he didn't give it to me, so I asked him to make a bet with me. If I manage to make you speak within three days, he gives me the necklace."

Kelrian's eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious."

The doctor chuckled. "I am serious. I love torturing people, especially arrogant pieces of shit like you."

"I'm not arrogant," hissed Kelrian.

Soft laughter escaped the felblood elf's lips. "Oh yes, you are. You thought you could sneak into Tempest Keep and destroy the Cipher without being seen. If that's not arrogant..."

"That has nothing to do with arrogance. I knew we could do it but we couldn't know that this bastard would betray us," replied Kelrian. He sounded very angry. It was clearly visible on his face that he was furious.

Doctor Sivallah shrugged. "If you say so." She looked at Delrissa who gave her a curious look. "Do we need any information from him?"

"I already extracted all the information the master needs, doctor."

Doctor Sivallah smiled. "Perfect. Now I can begin with the transformation. Ram the tip of the hose into his aorta."

The shivarra took a hose through which a green substance was flowing and rammed the tip into Kelrian's chest. A sharp scream escaped his lips but the pain faded quickly. The substance made him feel better but also sleepy.

Doctor Sivallah held a clean, fel green scalpel in front of his face. "Don't worry, you will not feel any pain during the procedure. You will fall asleep soon and only wake up when I'm finished."

"You...will...pay...for...this," were Kelrian's last words before everything around him became dark.


	57. The Netherstorm

Stormspire was one of the few places in the Netherstorm which weren't devasted. It was not a dull wasteland where the ground was grey, dry and infertile and no habitable building could be found. No ruins, demons or void creatures were in this area. It was the entire opposite of most areas in the Netherstorm that Raesh had seen so far.

There was plenty of vegetation and lots of friendly creatures who wanted to chat, trade or interact with others in different ways. The town was of draenei architecture and stood on the top of a very tall mountain. There was a huge purple energy dome wrapped around the mountain that protected the area from heavy storms which happened very often in this area. The barrier was not impassable, meaning that any creature could walk through it. Friends and foes.

The Burning Legion and the Sunstrider Loyalists were attacking the town from time to time but its inhabitants and the stationed troops of the Alliance had repelled every attack so far. Raesh had helped them by killing lots of smaller creatures and even those he had once considered as his brethren. Killing the men of his grandfather had not been easy for him at first but he had gotten more and more used to it with each passing day. He didn't like killing these blood elves or felblood elves, as they preferred to call themselves, but he did it nevertheless. He had to because he had no other choice. They would kill him and his friends and comrades if he wouldn't kill them first.

He was aware that this civil war would cost much more lives. So many blood elves had been slain by the Scourge in the Third War and more will fall due to the conflict between the sin'dorei and Kael'thas' forces. He still could not believe that his grandfather had betrayed their people and joined the Burning Legion. Raesh's parents had always told him stories of the brave and determined king who would have done anything to save his people.

Nowadays, the king had fallen to madness and it seemed as if he tried everything in his power to corrupt his people and doom them that way. Raesh couldn't understand why he was doing that and he doubted he would ever understand it. No one was able to understand the mad king's motives. No one had any idea what he wanted to achieve. It was a mystery.

Raesh had barely known his grandfather, so his betrayal had not hit him as hard as those who had once been close to him. His mother, his aunts, his grand cousin Liadrin, Ranger-General Lor'themar Theron, his mentor and many other high ranked mages who had served the king had been hit much harder. Those who had been very close to the king were the ones who had been shocked the most.

What had hit Raesh quite hard was the capture of his father who had tried to stop the mad king's plans. The mission of his father had not been successful due to the betrayal of one of the children of his father's partner. Raesh had heard about the nathrezim Exadius for the first time when his mother had told him about the nathrezim who worked with the Alliance. Before then, he had not known of Exadius' existence. His father had kept it secret until the day he had introduced his partner to the leaders of the Alliance.

Raesh understood that his father had kept it secret from the Alliance but he didn't understand why he had kept it secret from his family. He had thought that his father would trust him and their family. He had thought his father would tell them everything and would always be honest with them. Nevertheless, he was not disappointed in his father because he assumed that he had had his reasons.

Raesh knew that his father had changed. He was no longer the same man he had been before the Third War. The horrible events had changed almost everyone. Everyone Raesh knew had changed, there was not a single person he knew who had not changed. Every member of his family that had survived the Third War had changed a little at least. He didn't judge any of them. They were still good persons, they were doing good things. Only the moral values of some of them had changed.

He was not blind. He knew that his mother would stop at nothing to take vengeance on Arthas. He could understand her. Arthas ruined the lives of everyone he knew. He had murdered his mother, forced her to kill his grandmother and left Quel'Thalas in ruins. His sister and his cousin had been killed by Arthas' servants. Millions of lives had been destroyed because of Arthas' actions. Raesh will do everything in his power to help his mother to bring Arthas to justice. But before they could take care of Arthas, they had to stop his grandfather and free his father.

Raesh wanted nothing more than freeing his father. He didn't want to imagine what the servants of the Burning Legion would do to him. He could only assume that the mad king would try to bring him on his side by any means. Raesh had no doubt that the mad king would torture his father and try to break his mind with the help of every possible method. Raesh could only hope that they would reach Tempest Keep before it would be too late.

The worst thing was that Tempest Keep was still too far away from them. Of all bases in the Netherstorm, Stormspire was the closest base to Tempest Keep. But it was still too far away. They would have to travel for at least a week to reach the fortress, provided that no demons or loyalists would attack them. He feared that they would reach the keep too late to save his father. He knew that his father had a strong will but he didn't know if he was strong enough to endure the pain and torture the mad king would put him through.

He feared the worst but he didn't lose hope. He had to stay strong if he wanted to save his father. He had to stay strong for his mother who was an emotional wreck sometimes. She stayed strong whenever someone who didn't belong to her family was around. She stayed strong most of the times when he was around but sometimes, she was not able to control herself and prevent herself from becoming emotional. His father's capture had hit her hard, much harder than him.

Raesh was always there for his mother and always comforted her. He always tried his best but sometimes it was not enough. Without his father by her side, his mother was not as strong as she used to be. He couldn't hold that against her.

She was not weak, she was just a normal creature with emotions who could get very emotional when something happened to her family. She was not the heartless monster the Scarlet Crusade and some other dumb individuals thought she was. Despite her occasional unscrupulousness and her different moral values, she was not a bad person. She could still work on herself and Raesh believed that his father could change her for the better.

Raesh was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar warm voice. He turned his head, looking at the paladin who was standing not far away from him. Raesh's lips formed a smile as he walked over to him. He put a hand on his shoulder as soon as he reached him and stared into his eyes. The paladin blushed as he returned the gaze.

"What's up, Kaelor?" Raesh asked.

"Not much. Lady Liadrin sent me to look after you. I should tell you that we set off soon."

Raesh nodded. "Is that the only reason why you came here?"

"Of course not. I wanted to see you before we leave this wonderful place and march through this dull area for an unknown number of days," replied Kaelor.

Raesh caressed the paladin's cheek, putting a strand of raven hair behind his ear. "How much time do we have until we set off?"

"An hour at maximum."

"Just an hour...We should make the best out of it."

Kaelor nodded and put his hand on Raesh's. "I really want to enjoy this beautiful sight before we set off."

Raesh turned his head and let his gaze wander over the various flowers that surrounded him. "The garden might be small but it's beautiful. I like the idea of sitting here and regarding these beautiful forms of vegetation."

He took Kaelor's hand and guided him over to the small wooden table. They held hands while they sat on the chairs and regarded the beautiful flowers.

* * *

Raesh and Kaelor left the building behind them and came to the square where familiar creatures were gathered. They walked over to Raesh's mother and greeted her. Although Sylvanas gave her best to not show how nervous she was, Raesh still noticed. She was anxious and he was sure that she will remain anxious as long as his father was not by her side.

It was not only his father's absence that troubled her. It was also the fact that his father was in the hands of a madman who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. She feared what he will do to him and so did Raesh. Raesh knew that his grandfather had evil plans, so he feared that these plans would include his father in some way. He could only hope that they would stop his mad grandfather before it would be too late.

Raesh approached his mother and hugged her quickly, noticing that she relaxed when he wrapped his arms around her upper body. He pulled away eventually and regarded her from head to toe. She wore her battle armour which covered her entire body except for her head. Her bow and quiver hang over her right shoulder, her favourite swords hung on her belt. Her red hood was pulled over her head and most of her pale blonde hair was hidden beneath it. She was ready to fight.

"How are you doing, mother?" Raesh asked carefully.

Sylvanas hesitated for a few moments, thinking. "To be honest, I have had better days. Since your father got captured...things are not easy for me but I hold out. I try it at least. Staying strong for the others is easier said than done but I give my best."

Raesh gave her a small, soothing smile. "We will free father and stop the mad king. Put trust in yourself, in our family and the Alliance. We will do anything necessary to save father. I won't allow the mad king to use him for his evil plans."

The look in Sylvanas' eyes became sadder. "We can only hope that it's not already too late."

"I don't want to imagine what happens if we come too late... I prefer to not think about it," replied Raesh quietly.

"Me neither..."

The silence between them was uncomfortable. Sylvanas and Raesh wanted to break it but they had no idea what they should say. Even Kaelor remained silent, wondering when the awkward silence will stop. Mother and son turned their heads as they heard someone coming closer to them.

It was Lady Liadrin who looked more beautiful than ever. Her gorgeous auburn hair was made up in a ponytail, her skin had a healthy colour, the colour of peaches. She wore iron armour and a black tabard with the symbol of the Blood Knights. She was the leader of this order of blood elf paladins that had sworn to protect Quel'Thalas by any means.

Liadrin stopped in front of them and greeted them. Raesh greeted her in return and so did Kaelor who saluted to her. This simple gesture of respect was required of him because Liadrin was his superior.

"We are moving out in the next few minutes," Liadrin announced.

"Which way are we going? There are two routes to reach Tempest Keep, aren't there?" Raesh asked curiously.

"There are. Either we take the bridge in the south, pass the Eco-Dome Midrealm, walk through the Scrap Field and march through the Vortex Fields before we reach Tempest Keep. Or we go to the east and walk through the Ruins of Farahlon, then take a bridge that brings us to another area which we have to cross," explained the matriarch of the Blood Knights.

"Which route is easier?" Raesh asked.

"Easier is not the fitting word. The less dangerous route is more fitting in this case."

"Alright. Which one is less dangerous?"

"I don't know, to be honest. On both routes, enemies will get in our way and try to stop us. There are manaforges on both ways which need to be reconquered or destroyed if we want to reduce Kael'thas' energy supply. I suggest that we split our forces into two groups. We need to get rid of both manaforges."

"Wouldn't that cost us more time? I doubt we have the time for that," interrupted Sylvanas.

"Taking care of these forges will be necessary if we want to stop Kael'thas. As we know, Kael'thas still stores a large amount of energy for something. If we destroy the manaforges, we can wreck his plans," explained Liadrin.

"But Kelrian...," Sylvanas began but stopped as she noticed Raesh's gaze on her. She turned her head and raised an eyebrow, giving her son an irritated look.

"Aunt Liadrin is right, mother. We already know that the mad king plans something big. I have no doubt that the amount of energy that is harvested in these manaforges plays a big role. We have to destroy them. I know that you don't like the idea because it will cost us a few days at least but it's necessary to stop him. Just like you, I want to rescue father as soon as possible but we have to look at the current situation from a neutral perspective. We won't help anyone if we succeed rescuing father but fail at stopping the mad king's plans. Stopping him is our main goal and the main goal of the Alliance."

Sylvanas appeared to be upset when she thought about his words silently but then her facial expression softened and became neutral eventually. "You are right, my son. As badly as I want to save your father as early as we can, I shouldn't forget about the big picture. We have to stop your grandfather by any means and that's more important than anything else at the moment. I just hope your father will hold out. He has a strong will, so I doubt he will give in so easily. I hope he will remain strong and hold out while we make our way to Tempest Keep."

"I have never met anyone whose will is stronger than father's will. I believe he will not give in. I..."

"We should set off," interrupted Liadrin. "We already wasted too much time planning and talking."

"Where do I go?" Raesh asked his mother and his grand cousin.

"You will come with me, Raesh," announced Liadrin. "Your aunt Vereesa and I will lead the first group while your mother, Tyrande and Danara will lead the second."

"Which route will we take?"

"The one in the south. We will assault Manaforge Duro and then meet up with the other group in front of the bridge that leads to Tempest Keep."

Raesh nodded and looked at his mother who gave him a barely recognizable smile. "I will see you in a few days or weeks then."

Sylvanas wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him in a brief hug, kissing his forehead. "Take care of yourself, my dear. I don't want to lose you too."

"I can take care of myself, don't worry about me. Worry about my enemies."

Sylvanas didn't respond to his joke.

Reash sighed. "You don't have to be worried about me, mother. I'm stronger than you think. Besides, Liadrin and aunt Vereesa are with me and will protect me if necessary."

"I will be there too. I will never leave his side, Lady Windrunner. I swear in the name of the light that I will always cover Raesh's back," said Kaelor.

Sylvanas gave her son's lover a small smile. "I believe you will. You will protect each other, I'm sure of that." She looked back at her son and put a hand on his cheek. "Stay safe and don't take any unnecessary risk."

"The same counts for you, mother."

Sylvanas smiled but said nothing in return. She stared into her son's eyes for a few moments before she walked over to a gathered group of fifty Forsaken, twenty sin'dorei, more than two dozen night elves and humans, and thirty demons that served Danara. Raesh's gaze rested on her for a few seconds before it fell on Liadrin. "I'm ready."

* * *

His gaze was resting on her since the beginning of the had not averted his gaze for days, he had not even glimpsed at the patient. He had stared at the doctor the entire time. He had not looked at the patient to get a foretaste of what would await him, of how the patient may look like once the doctor would be finished. He had decided to wait for the full result, so he had just stared at the doctor and not averted his gaze. Not even for a single time. He was curious to see the final result.

Doctor Sivallah put her fel green scalpel away and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She stood up and made a few steps backwards, regarding the patient. Her grey lips formed a satisfied smile as her tired green eyes regarded her newest creation from head to toe. The man who had watched her the entire time turned his head and also looked at her creation.

If he wouldn't have seen the patient before, he would have believed that they had been a blood elf before. They looked like anything but a blood elf, they didn't even look very humanoid. They didn't look like a twisted version of a blood elf, more like a monstrosity. A demon spawn.

"Your works always impress me, darling," the man said as he walked over to her.

Doctor Sivallah turned her head and looked at him, her smile became wider. "Thank you, honey."

"You put a lot of effort into this individual. Usually, you don't spend several days on a patient. Usually, your transformations don't take longer than twenty-four hours."

"You are right about that. I could have changed him in a different way but the king demanded me to make this one as strong as possible. I used half a dozen demon crystals and lots of demon DNA to change him for the better. He is stronger than anyone I ever created, except for you of course. You are my strongest and most favourite creation. I'm so proud of you. I have never worked on someone for twelve days without a pause before. I had feared I would mess things up but I didn't. Your royal blood is so powerful. I can create lots of descendant with it, like this one." Doctor Sivallah pointed at the demon that was still tied to the operation table.

"I never believed that my blood has so much potential. I was not born a demon but you can still make demons with the help of my blood, that's interesting..."

Doctor Sivallah smiled. "It is indeed. I tried to find out the reason for that but I didn't come to a conclusion yet. It's still a mystery to me and I'm looking forward to solving it." She put a hand on the man's cheek, caressing it carefully. She stared into his two-coloured eyes, running a hand over his ashen-grey skin.

She stepped on her tiptoes, wanting to reach his mouth with hers as the door was opened and a creature came in. Doctor Sivallah stepped away from him, an annoyed look could be seen on her face as she glanced at the creature who had just interrupted her from kissing her lover.

It was Alyssa whose gaze fell on the man. "Dreadfist."

The man turned to her and lowered his head in respect. "What can I do for you, milady?"

"Your presence is required."

"Where?"

"In the consulting room."

"Alright. I will come immediately." Dreadfist gave Doctor Sivallah one last glance before he left the room and followed Alyssa. They didn't need long to reach the consulting room in which Xertus, Kael'thas and his advisors were waiting for them. The advisors lowered their heads in respect, Kael'thas nodded at him. Only Xertus didn't react to Dreadfist's arrival.

"What did I miss?" Dreadfist asked.

"Our spies reported to us that the forces of the Alliance come closer and closer. Two armies are on the way to us. One of these armies managed to destroy Manaforge Ultris. The other is still assaulting Manaforge Duro," explained Capernian.

"We need to prevent them from destroying Duro. The loss of another Manaforge will delay our plan considerably," added Telonicus. "My team and I will need months to rebuild two manaforges."

Dreadfist regarded the four advisors before he looked at Kael'thas. "What do you want me to do, your majesty."

"I want you to go to Manaforge Duro. You must prevent its destruction by any means. You also have to bring my grandson to me. I need him for my plan. Alive," Kael'thas ordered strictly.

"As you wish, Ann'da," Dreadfist responded.

"Anu belore dela'na," was everything Kael'thas said in return before he dismissed Dreadfist. The half-demon did not hesitate to turn around and leave the consulting room.

* * *

"This battle seems to never end," Raesh cursed under his breath as he avoided a spear that had been thrown at him. His green eyes fell on the creature who had flung the deadly weapon. It was a male felblood elf with orange hair and light blue skin. The green colour tone of his eyes was much darker than Raesh's. The felblood elf didn't hesitate to create another spear with the help of fel magic, throwing it at Raesh. The young mage created a barrier around himself that protected him from the spear.

Raesh began to cast a spell, a quiet sigh escaped his lips as he realized that the barrier protected him from another thrown spear. He had no idea how much longer the barrier would endure, so he completed the spell as fast as possible. The threw the freshly created fireball at his opponent and watched his body catching fire as he got hit. The magical fire caused serious burning wounds to the felblood elf but it was not strong enough to kill him and turn his body to ashes. Raesh knew he had to cast more spells to take him down.

He needed two more spells. The first spell froze the felblood elf's feet on the ground, preventing him from running away or jumping to the side to avoid his second spell. It was a long and thick ice lance which tip was very sharp. It pierced through the elf's armour with ease and not even the man's skin could stop it. Raesh had aimed at the man's heart and he had not missed it. The man was dead before his body landed on the ground.

Raesh's eyes fell on the closest opponent, a wrathguard that was swinging a huge iron club. It hit several soldiers of the Alliance, knocking them away. It executed another swing, seriously wounding a female dwarf warrior who had not been able to dodge the attack in time. One of the dwarf's comrades rushed over to her and wanted to drag her away before the wrathguard would kill her. Unfortunately, the creature was hit by a shock wave which knocked it away. No one was able to save the dwarf whose head was crushed by the club a few seconds later.

A triumphing roar escaped the wrathguard's mouth but it couldn't cheer for too long. Liadrin had rushed over to the demon while it had been distracted. The demon noticed the leader of the blood knights too late. Liadrin cut off its arm which hand was holding the club. The demon's head was separated from its shoulders before it could realize what was going on. The wrathguard's body fell to the side and dissolved a few moments later.

Raesh had not been idle while his grand cousin had taken care of that demon. He had wrapped a barrier around himself and counter the spell of the mage who had knocked away the dwarf's comrade. The mage was a male blood elf who had long blond hair and wore a purple robe. Unlike most of the traitorous elves that were defending the manaforge, he looked normal. His appearance had not changed because of the influence of the fel. He was one of the few loyalists through which veins no demon blood flowed. He still looked like a humanoid creature and not like a demon half-breed.

Raesh knew this man. His name was Kanthin and he was one of the many senior magisters that served the mad king. Raesh had often watched him training when he had been younger and just started his apprenticeship as a mage. He knew that Kanthin was a very powerful mage. He had more experience than him and was probably stronger than him. Raesh assumed that he wouldn't be able to defeat him alone, especially while the water elemental, that was not leaving Kanthin's side, was there. Fortunately for him, he was not alone. He didn't have to defeat the senior magister alone. Liadrin and Kaelor were around him, so were many other soldiers.

"Look who we have here: The king's grandchild. King Sunstrider will grant me a huge reward if I bring you to him."

"I will never allow you take me to him," hissed Raesh and began to cast a spell.

Kanthin did the same. "You have no say in this matter," he shouted and cast a frost nova, trying to freeze Raesh's feet to the ground. The young mage jumped away at the last moment, shooting his spell at the magister at the same time. The spell hit but a barrier absorbed its damage, leaving Kanthin unharmed. "Nice try."

Raesh's eyes narrowed but he didn't lose his patience and cast another spell. He hit Kanthin's water elemental Glacius and froze it. The water elemental was trapped in an ice block out of which it couldn't get free alone. Kanthin had to destroy the ice block carefully to free his companion. The magister wanted to melt the ice but Raesh didn't allow him to do that. He countered Kanthin's spell and froze his hands at the same time, preventing him from casting more spells.

Kanthin's widened eyes showed panic as soon as he realized that he was defenceless and no one was around him to help him. He managed to dodge Raesh's arcane blast at the last moment but he was unable to avoid Kaelor's hammer strike which broke several of his ribs. Kanthin spat blood out, his facial features distorted in pain. Panic and fear could be seen in his eyes as he parted his lips to say something but Liadrin did not allow him to speak. She thrust her sword through his chest, killing him immediately.

With the death of the last commander of Kael'thas' forces that were stationed there, lots of loyalists quickly lost their fighting spirit. Some of them stayed and defended the manaforge but most of the remaining soldiers started to flee. The demons stayed and fought but they were dispatched quickly. Raesh and his comrades came closer to the entrance of the huge building.

Despite the retreat of a large portion of the forces outside the building, the manaforge was still guarded. Lots of demons and loyalists were waiting in the main hall. Raesh was asking himself why they had stayed inside instead of helping their comrades outside. He didn't come to a conclusion which made sense but he didn't really care. All that mattered to him was that they would defeat the remaining forces.

They fought for hours, lost comrades but killed more demons and loyalists in return. They were getting the upper hand slowly but the battle was far from over. Too many enemies were left and more demons were summoned by the loyalists. Their warlocks were stronger than Raesh had expected. He used his full power to kill as many warlocks and summoners as possible. He had not learned how to create fel fire but he still managed to kill demons quickly. He combined arcane, frost and fire techniques to take out his foes. He even managed to kill tougher demons like doomguards.

They were not as tall and powerful as other doomguards he had seen on Outland but he was proud of himself nevertheless. He assumed that his mother would be proud too if she would hear of it. Doomguards were very powerful and tough foes which could pose a threat to even the strongest warriors of the Alliance. Killing one of them was not easy but Raesh had done it. It had cost him a large portion of his mana but he had two mana potions left which would sustain him for a while.

He had to use both of them but the fight was turning in their favour after several hours. Most defenders were dead or knocked out, only a few dozens were left. Raesh cast spell after spell, killing more demons and felblood elves. He kept an eye on Kaelor, protecting him if necessary. The paladin did the same for him, charging at anyone who approached Raesh. The couple protected each other.

The battle was almost won, only a handful of loyalists and demons remained. Suddenly, a portal appeared in the middle of the hall. Raesh frowned as he prepared a spell which he would fire at anyone who would come out of the portal. He expected someone to come out immediately but nobody showed up the first minutes.

A creature came out of the portal eventually and Raesh didn't hesitate to shoot his ice blast at them. The ice blast had flown so fast so that only a handful of creatures had noticed it, but unfortunately for him, the newcomer was one of them. The creature was protected by a green glowing barrier that absorbed the spell.

Raesh prepared another spell as he regarded the newcomer. It was a male creature whose body was shaped humanoid. He had silvery hair, elven ears and six bent horns that came out of his skullcap. He was eight feet and two inches tall and wore massive purple armour that seemed to be made out of rare and very expensive materials. His armoured left hand was thicker than his other hand.

He wore a mask so that Raesh could not see his face but he was able to see both of his eyes which were two-coloured. The left half of the iris of each eye was dark green and the other half was golden. Raesh had never seen such eyes before. These eyes didn't look natural, at least not for an elf.

The strange man turned his head and checked his surroundings. He looked at the few loyalists and demons that were left before his gaze fell on Liadrin. It rested on her for a few moments, then it wandered to Vereesa and finally landed on Raesh and Kaelor. "Raesh Windrunner." His voice was deep, strong and fearsome.

"That's me. Do you want to tell me who you are?"

"I'm Dreadfist."

Raesh raised an eyebrow. "Dreadfist? I never heard of you. What do you want from me? Do you want to kill me?"

"No, I don't want to kill you. Your grandfather has other plans with you."

"I won't allow you to take him," shouted Kaelor and stepped in front of Raesh, holding his hammer tightly.

Dreadfist's eyes fell on him. "And you think you can stop me? If you do so, I must disappoint you. The light will not be enough to stop me."

"He is not alone," shouted Vereesa. "We will kill you before you even get the chance to touch a hair on Raesh's head."

Dreadfist's gaze fell on her. "If that's not the famous Vereesa Windrunner. The weakest and most unimportant of the three Windrunner sisters, who has the biggest mouth."

Vereesa's narrowed eyes reflected anger. "Say that again and I will end you myself."

Soft laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. "YOU will end ME? That's a good joke, I have to admit that. I haven't had a good laugh for weeks."

Vereesa's eyes narrowed even further but she said nothing in response. Dreadfist regarded her for a few moments and then looked back at Raesh. "I'll make you an offer, Raesh. I will spare your companions if you come with me but only if they leave the manaforge without destroying it. If you reject the offer, I have to kill every single one of them."

"We outnumber you. And even if we wouldn't, I would never accept your offer. You are a demon, so it's in your nature to lie. I don't trust any of your words," Raesh hissed.

Dreadfist exhaled loudly. "Very well. You had your chance. You refused my offer, so I have no other choice than killing all of your companions. With whom should I start first? Your grand cousin? Your whore of an aunt who soiled your bloodline by mating with a human? Or shall I begin with that cock-sucking paladin that seems to mean something to you? It's up to you, Raesh."

Raesh couldn't hold back. Dreadfist's insults made him angry, so angry that he couldn't control himself anymore. Before he realized what he had done, he had fired his prepared spell at the half-demon. It flew much faster than expected but Dreadfist still managed to block it with the help of a certain weapon he had made appear out of nowhere. It was a certain weapon which was familiar to Raesh.

It was no other weapon than the Sword of the Abyss.

Drak'tar.

His father's runeblade.


	58. Similarity

Raesh's gaze rested on his father's sword that was carried by Dreadfist. He couldn't believe that this half-demon wielded his father's sword. He knew that Drak'tar was a very powerful runeblade, so he didn't want to imagine what a servant of the Burning Legion could do with it. His mother had told him a few things about it but not even she was aware of what the blade could do.

His father had never spoken to him about Drak'tar. He had never told him how powerful it really was. All Raesh knew that it was a very powerful and deadly weapon. A lot of damage could be done with it if it would fall into the wrong hands. And Dreadfist's hands were definitely the wrong hands.

"This is my father's sword," Raesh pressed through gritted teeth as he regarded Dreadfist with narrowed eyes.

"It _was_ your father's sword. Now it is mine," replied the half-demon.

"Not for long," responded Raesh.

Dreadfist tilted his head a little and regarded Raesh curiously. "Is that a threat?"

"Maybe."

Laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. "You are a fool if you believe that you can beat me. I'm afraid I must tell you that you won't win this battle. I'm playing in another league. You won't have a chance against me."

Raesh's voice sounded strong and serious. "We will see about that."

Due to the mask, Raesh was not able to see the grin on Dreadfist's pale lips. The half-demon lifted his thicker hand and snapped, creating three green portals through which demons and felblood elves stepped through. More than a hundred appeared and didn't hesitate to attack the soldiers of the Alliance.

Dreadfist raised Drak'tar, his eyes rested on Raesh. "Come and get me, boy. I'm curious to find out what you are capable of. Fight me like a man."

Raesh didn't go for his bait and remained on his spot. He turned his head, looking at Vereesa, Liadrin and Kaelor. They nodded at him and signalized him that they were ready. Raesh looked back at the half-demon who hadn't moved an inch yet. He was still standing at the same spot and regarded him curiously. Between him and Raesh were several demons and felblood elves. The Alliance had to take care of them first. And they did that.

Raesh turned the body of a female felblood elf to ashes as Dreadfist began to move. It was obvious that he was coming for him. Raesh shot a frost blast at the half-demon but he blocked it with his runeblade. He even blocked the arrow shot by Vereesa. Raesh tried to freeze the demon's feet to the floor but Dreadfist noticed his plan and jumped away at the last moment. He lifted his thicker hand and created a small green glowing sphere, flinging it at Raesh.

Raesh avoided it at the last moment but the sphere didn't just disappear. It hit a male sin'dorei and made him explode. Blood and innards spread all over the floor. It was horrible to watch. Raesh had to fight with himself to avoid throwing up. That way, his opponent had managed to prevent him from casting spells. Raesh's stomach was still cramping, the meal he had eaten this morning threatened to leave his bodythrough the same way he had consumed it.

Raesh managed to keep his food in his stomach but he was not able to cast a spell to keep Dreadfist at distance and prevent him from reaching him. Dreadfist approached him and tried to grab him. His fingers came dangerously close to the collar of Raesh's robe but Kaelor pulled him away at the last time. An angry sound left Dreadfist's lips as he missed him for a few inches. Dreadfist tried to grab Raesh again but he was hit by an arcane blast, causing him to stagger away from Raesh.

Dreadfist roared loudly and turned to the man who had cast the spell. It was Grand Magister Rommath who had once been loyal to Kael'thas but had retracted his oath to serve the king for all eternity. He wanted to stop the mad king by any means, just like Raesh and everyone who was with him.

"Magister Rommath...Another traitor who will die by my blade. You will wish you never turned away from our king. I will make an example out of you. I will show everyone what will happen to traitors like you."

Rommath's green eyes rested on the masked half-demon. "You will have to reach me first to do that."

Dreadfist didn't need to be told twice. He leapt in the air and landed next to the grand magister, executing a swift swing but the magister was gone before the blade reached him. He appeared on the other side of the hall, casting a fireball. The fiery missile hit Dreadfist in the back, damaging his armour. It was not strong enough to break it but it created cracks in the purple material. Dreadfist turned to him but he was hit in the back again before he was able to lift his left hand and cast a spell.

Dreadfist turned to Raesh, the look in his eyes told the young mage that he was not amused. The half-demon sprinted over to Raesh with such an incredible speed that he was not able to avoid him. Dreadfist rammed Raesh and pushed him to the floor, causing him to hit his head on the floor.

The surroundings blurred out for Raesh but he didn't lose consciousness. He was still awake but he didn't notice anything that was happening around him. Dreadfist tried to grab him but Kaelor bashed his hand away with his hammer, causing a painful cry to escape the half-demon's lips.

"You worthless piece of shit," Dreadfist roared and swung his sword, barely missing Kaelor who had made a step to the side at the last moment. Dreadfist swung again and hit this time. The sword cut through armour and left a yawning wound in Kaelor's left hip. A painful hiss escaped the blood elf's lips as he stumbled backwards and nearly fell. He managed to catch himself at the last moment but he had not enough time to dodge Dreadfist's foot.

The kick hit him in the chest, causing him to stagger more and fall to the floor. Dreadfist picked him up and enclosed his hand around his throat, choking him while holding him in the air. Kaelor struggled hard, trying to loosen the half-demon's grip but he was too strong. Kaelor was not able to push Dreadfist's armoured fingers away. He noticed quickly that he was running out of air. He knew he had to free himself if he didn't want to die but he had no idea how.

Holy light was radiated by his left hand but Dreadfist's entire body was covered by armour. Kaelor could not directly hurt the half-demon with the help of the light. Things were looking bad for him. He knew he would run out of air soon. He knew that Dreadfist wouldn't need long to strangle him to death.

His surroundings blurred out and became black, the pain got worse with each passing second. But then it became weaker suddenly. His vision was still blurred and his throat hurt a lot but at least he was able to breathe. His breaths were fast and unsteady but he was able to inhale oxygen. Against his expectation and his greatest fear, he was not dead. He was still alive. He felt weak but he was alive.

His vision returned slowly and the first person he saw was his lover who was casting frost spells. Kaelor let his gaze wander, noticing that Dreadfist's sword was frozen along with his sword hand. Raesh was firing more spells, Vereesa was shooting more arrows and Liadrin managed to hit the half-demon with a few strikes.

His armour was damaged but not broken yet. His flesh was not exposed, meaning he still couldn't be injured yet. But it was only a matter of time until his armour would break. More spellcasters, archers and ranged and melee fighters were attacking the half-demon who was the only remaining servant of the Burning Legion in the hall.

Kaelor noticed that some of his comrades had fallen in the meantime but there were still enough soldiers left who were attacking the masked demon. Raesh stepped to him as soon as he noticed that he was back in the present. He helped him up and showed him where his hammer was. Kaelor rushed to the spot and picked it up, noticing the small cracks in the hammer's head. He ran his hand over the cracks, noticing that they were not deep. It had to be repaired but it was still useable.

He joined the battle and started to attack Dreadfist who didn't manage to block all of his hits. His armour got more and more damaged. The cracks became deeper, wider and longer but the armour was still intact. The soldiers of the Alliance didn't give him the opportunity to try to free his sword hand from the ice. His right hand was casting spells but all of them were protective spells that allowed him to avoid some hits and techniques.

He stepped to the side and avoided Liadrin's sword swing and Kaelor's hammer swing at the same time. He even avoided Vereesa's arrow but he was not able to avoid the lightning strike cast by a draenei shaman. The technique stunned Dreadfist long enough to prevent him from creating a barrier to block the next few techniques. Rommath, Raesh and a few other mages combined their strongest spells and managed to destroy Dreadfist's upper body armour.

The half-demon's skin was as white as bones and decorated by green glowing tattoos. A green glowing felstone stuck in the middle of his muscular chest. There were lots of smaller felstones which pointed tips stuck out of his shoulders.

"I have enough of this," hissed Dreadfist. He cast a shock wave that threw away everyone around him. Then he put his left hand on the block of ice that was wrapped around his sword and his right hand, causing it to crack. It took him only a few seconds to free his sword hand. He swung the runeblade, cutting the nearest soldier in two pieces. A female blood knight approached him but she died before she got the chance to hit him. Two more soldiers died before the first spells flew towards Dreadfist.

Dreadfist's exposed upper body got hit but only medium-deep wounds were left. But they were not open for too long, they healed without Dreadfist needing to do anything. They had healed on their own, telling the warriors of the Alliance that the half-demon had strong regeneration powers.

"That is not good," hissed Rommath.

"Aim at his head," shouted Vereesa and drew an arrow from her quiver. The arrow flew but Dreadfist destroyed it with his runeblade. The half-demon grabbed the nearest soldier, lifted them in the air and smashed him onto the floor with all of his strength. The sound of broken bones was loudly hearable, so was the soldier's painful cry. The cry died away when Dreadfist crushed the soldier's skull with his massive feet. "Annoying insect," the demon hissed as he averted his gaze from the night elf's corpse.

His gaze fell on Raesh who didn't stop casting spells even though he knew that he was running out of mana. He was aware that he would be only able to cast a few spells before his reserves would be used up. He still had his spellblade which he could use to fight the demon in close combat and he could also pick up bow and quiver from a deceased archer. He wouldn't be useless when he would spend the last portions of his mana.

"You mortal weaklings are getting on my nerves. It's time to end this," Dreadfist shouted. He rammed his sword into the floor and muttered a few words, causing a green shimmering barrier to appear around him. He removed his left glove, revealing his thick hand. It was a demonic hand which looked similar to the hand of Raesh's father. He noticed the similarities. It was thicker than his father's hand but had the same colour.

Golden runic symbols decorated the fel green skin just like tattoos. The runic symbols looked similar to the symbols on his father's hand. Raesh was not sure if they were just similar or even identical to the ones his father had. He had never taken a closer look at them so he couldn't tell whether his assumption was right or wrong. At this very moment, he wished he had done that.

Dreadfist held the hand on the same height than his head, all of its five fingers were stretched out. "HE IS CASTING A POWERFUL SPELL. MOVE AWAY FROM HIM QUICKLY!" cried Vereesa. She had seen what could be done with the runeblade when Kelrian had used it in Deatholme, so she expected that Dreadfist could do the same. He could cause similar destruction than Kelrian had caused back then.

Everyone who was around the demon was in danger. But not everyone managed to get away in time. The explosion claimed the lives of almost two dozen soldiers.

"I TOLD YOU THAT YOU HAVE NO CHANCE AGAINST ME. I GAVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT ALIVE IF RAESH WINDRUNNER COMES WITH ME. BUT HE REFUSED, THAT WAS HIS MISTAKE. IT'S HIS FAULT THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE TO DIE NOW," roared Dreadfist and began to cast a spell. He threw a green energy sphere at the nearest group of soldiers. The explosion killed all six soldiers and left nothing of them behind. It almost seemed as if they had been erased from existence.

Evil laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips as he saw the shocked expressions on the faces of the other soldiers.

"Accept your demise, foolish weaklings," the half-demon cried as he created another green energy sphere which he didn't hesitate to throw.

Raesh noticed that it was flowing towards the group of archers that were standing behind Vereesa. All of them would die if he wouldn't do anything. He couldn't allow that. He couldn't allow his aunt to die. His mother would be devasted if she would lose her little sister after her husband had been captured by the Burning Legion. They already lost too many soldiers due to Dreadfist's destructive spells, so Raesh couldn't allow them to lose more. He had to find a way to stop the half-demon but first, he had to protect his aunt.

Raesh focused the last remains of his mana and created a barrier around the archers. He had no idea if it was strong enough to absorb the sphere. He was praying to the Sunwell that it would be strong enough. He noticed that Rommath and other mages used the last remains of their mana to strengthen the barrier.

What happened next really surprised Raesh and everyone else. He had hoped the barrier to neutralize the sphere but it did something else with the deadly missile. The sphere was not neutralized but thrown back.

Dreadfist was as surprised as Raesh as he leapt to the side and avoided his own technique at the last moment. The sphere flew through the door at the opposite side of the room. The following explosion made the walls and the ground shake. Nothing else happened for a few moments but then a loud siren sounded. The deafening sounds didn't allow anyone to concentrate.

Raesh looked at Dreadfist, noticing that his eyes were widened. He could not see his face but he still assumed that the half-demon knew what was going on.

A loud mechanical voice came from the speakers in the top corners of the room. "ALARM. THE REACTOR IS IN A CRITICAL CONDITION. THE CHANCES OF A EXPLOSION IS VERY HIGH. PLEASE STAY CALM AND LEAVE THE BUILDING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT PANIC."

"WE MUST GET OUT OF HERE," cried Liadrin and pointed at the exit. "RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN."

The soldiers didn't need to be told twice and rushed towards the exit. The mechanical voice resounded again, repeating the same sentences. It advised them to stay calm and not break out in panic but the soldiers did the entire opposite. They ran as fast as they could, some of them even stumbled and fell to the floor. Some of their comrades stopped to help them up while others ignored them and thought only of themselves.

Raesh went to Kaelor, who had fallen as well, and helped him up. They nodded at each other before they started to run towards the entrance. But before they could reach it, Dreadfist appeared in front of it. His eyes were narrowed and reflected anger. It was very likely that his facial expression reflected anything but amusement.

He swung his sword at Kaelor and tried to grab Raesh at the same time. Kaelor managed to block the swing but his hammer was destroyed in the process, leaving the paladin defenceless. Raesh jumped to the left side and pulled an item from his belt. It was a grenade. A very special grenade made for fighting demons.

He threw the grenade which exploded right before the demon's masked face. Raesh turned his head at the last moment so that he was not dazzled by the light which spread out in all directions.

"ARRGH! MY EYES" Dreadfist cried out as he staggered backwards. He was not able to see anything, so he struck out in all directions and hoped to hit his opponents. Raesh looked at Kaelor who nodded at him. Together, they managed to pass the demon without getting hit by his sword and demonic hand.

Raesh had noticed that one of the runes on Dreadfist's hand and one of the runes engraved in the blade had stopped glowing. The same had happened when his father had used the blade in Deatholme. His mother had told him everything she had witnessed in that battle. Raesh knew that the technique Dreadfist had used was the same his father had used in Deatholme. Raesh was wondering if that had to mean something **.** Raesh would love to analyse all the information he had gathered about Dreadfist but he had not the time for that yet.

They had to get away from the manaforge first before he could do that. He would have enough time to analyse everything when they were in safety. Together with Kaelor, he ran as fast as possible. He turned his head from time to time to check if the half-demon was following them but he was not. They didn't even see him leaving the manaforge. They had no idea where he was but they didn't care.

Even though they had brought much distance between themselves and the manaforge, the explosion still threw them away. They landed on the firm, infertile ground and laid there for a few moments. Their bodies hurt but the pain eased off quickly as priests began to treat them. They helped them up eventually, asking if they were okay. Raesh and his boyfriend answered the question in the affirmative.

They looked at each other for a few moments before they embraced each other tightly. They shared a quick kiss before they pulled away and looked at the ruins of the manaforge. "We did it," Kaelor said quietly. Despite their victory, he didn't sound delighted.

"We lost so many soldiers to achieve our goal...If I would have known that this mission would claim the lives of so many soldiers, I would have convinced my aunt and my grand cousin to not go there and travel to Tempest Keep instead," replied Raesh. Sadness was reflected in his voice and in his eyes.

"We killed many demons and traitors in return. Many enemies of the sin'dorei fell today. It still shocks me how drastically our former brethren changed. What the fel did to them... Most of them were not recognizable, they looked anything but humanoid. And this Dreadfist... He was an elf too, wasn't he? He had elven ears but it is hard to tell if he was a sin'dorei or kaldorei."

"I guess we will never find that out."

"Do you think he is dead?" Kaelor asked curiously.

Raesh shrugged. "I have no idea. I hope he is dead. I don't want to fight him again... He is stronger than anyone I have ever met."

"We have no proof that he is dead."

"There is something that doesn't want to leave my mind. I just realised it when we got out."

Kaelor raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

"For some reason, Dreadfist reminded me a little of my father. His voice was different but his hand with its runic symbols were so similar to my father's hand. The left hand of both of them looked anything but humanoid. He had my father's sword and used the same technique my father used in Deatholme. Not to mention that his posture, his moves and fighting style showed similarities to my father's."

"Are you implying that..." Kaelor didn't finish his sentence.

Raesh shrugged, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. "I don't know what to think. There is no way that this creature is my father... I hope Dreadfist just an imitator who wants to confuse us."

Kaelor's facial expression was similar to that of Raesh. He was thinking about his boyfriend's words. "You could be right but..."

"I could also be wrong. We need more pieces of evidence. I can only hope for the sake of my mother that this creature is not my father. If it turns out that Dreadfist is my father... She will be devasted..."

Kaelor remained silent, not knowing what to say. He put a hand on Raesh's shoulder, patting it softly. Raesh looked at him but said nothing for a while.

"We should go to your aunt and grand cousin and discuss what to do next."

Raesh nodded and followed him silently.

* * *

The pain was stronger than he had expected. It had started in his left lung and quickly spread out through his entire body. His entire body was hurting and there was no way to make it stop. He didn't have any felstones left which stored power he could use to ease the pain. There was no one in his near who could help him.

He had searched through the ruins of Manaforge Duro but had found nothing. No healing potion, no creature whose lifeforce he could drain and no items that contained fel energy. He was too weak to regenerate. The grenade had stunned him much longer than expected and the explosion had badly injured him.

There was a huge yawning wound in his torso, his right forearm was missing and three of his six horns were broken. A large splinter of a wooden beam stuck in his left upper thigh. He was badly wounded and he had no idea where his runeblade was. The runeblade Exadius had given him was nowhere to be found. He could drain energy from it and sustain himself but he didn't have it. He searched the ruins for the third time but he didn't spot it.

"Are you looking for this?" asked a strange voice.

Dreadfist turned around, his two-coloured eyes fell on the sword held by a demon. It was not a common demon. It was a dreadlord but not an unknown. It was a famous dreadlord. Or infamous dreadlord from the perspective of the Horde and Alliance.

The wings of the nathrezim had a similar colour than his shoulder plates. Bilious green. The rest of the armour was black. Dreadfist knew who he was, although it was the first time he met him personally. He had seen this dreadlord often in visions and even in his nightmares. He had not spent any time with him but he still despised him. He knew what this particular nathrezim had done. He was aware of how many lives had been destroyed because of him.

Despite his aversion to the dreadlord, Dreadfist remained calm and gave him a polite answer to his question. "I do. Where did you find it?"

The dreadlord pointed at the remains of the reactor. "This is a very powerful sword. It didn't get damaged when an immense amount of arcane energy was set free as the reactor exploded. I'm impressed."

"This is no ordinary runeblade."

"I know a lot of runeblades. I recognize a very powerful sword when I see it. This one is much stronger than any other runeblade I have ever seen. Except for a certain runeblade. A cursed one," the dreadlord told.

"You mean the one which killed you."

The nathrezim's facial features derailed. Anger could be seen on his pale face but the anger faded quickly and his expression became neutral.

"Seems I struck a nerve," said Dreadfist.

The nathrezim was not amused. "You did. I will not condone the fact that Arthas killed me in Northrend. I will have my vengeance one day. I will not let him go unpunished."

"That makes two of us."

The nathrezim grinned. "Good that we are on the same side."

"We might be on the same side but I still don't like you. You are the last person I want to work with."

"Too bad. We could have made a great team."

"I do not work with the creature that is jointly responsible for the death of my wife and the deaths of nine hundred thousand innocents. If you wouldn't have corrupted Arthas..."

"It was Tichondrius who ordered Arthas to attack Quel'Thalas. Not me."

"You are also responsible. Do not try to talk your way out, Mal'Ganis."

Mal'Ganis tilted his head and raised a brow. "And what are you going to do now, _Dreadfist?_ Do you intend to kill me? In your condition? Without the Sword of the Abyss?"

Dreadfist lifted his left hand. "I still have this gift."

Soft laughter escaped Mal'Ganis' lips. "That wouldn't be enough against me. Drak'tar is too powerful. You have no chance against me as long as I have it."

"You might be right about that. So, tell me what do you want, Mal'Ganis."

"Well, I need a powerful sword if I want to take my vengeance as soon as I get an opportunity." His green eyes fell on the runeblade. "I think I will keep it. You don't have anything against it, do you? Why am I even asking you? You are not in the condition to fight me and get it back."

Evil laughter escaped Mal'Ganis' lips. "Ask your partner if he makes you a new one. I doubt it will be as powerful as this one. Anyway, I guess we will see each other sooner or later. I have a business to take care of in Northrend."

"You son of a..." Mal'Ganis teleported away with the runeblade before the half-demon could finish his sentence.


	59. Inevitable Confrontation

Dreadfist fell out of the portal and landed on the hard and cold floor. His head was ringing, his chest was hurting and he was not able to feel his left leg. His vision was blurred and the voice he heard was unrecognizable. He saw the blurred outlines of a person that was approaching him but he was not able to recognize who it was.

His body felt numb, he was not feeling anything but pain. The pain got worse with each passing second but there was nothing Dreadfist could do to ease the pain. There was only one way to make his situation better. He had to drain the lifeforce of another creature. There was only one creature around him, or at least he could only see that one person. He had no idea who it was but he didn't care. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to feel better by any means.

Dreadfist waited and waited. The pain didn't stop but at least he regained the feeling over his body. He grabbed the person by the throat and brought them closer. He leaned forward and opened his mouth. He buried his fangs into the creature's warm and soft neck. The creature resisted but Dreadfist wrapped his arm around them and pressed them tightly against him. He used all of his strength to suppress the creature's attempts to get free. The creature got weaker and weaker the more blood and lifeforce he stole.

He stopped draining as soon as he realized that the creature was empty. He had sucked every single portion of its blood and lifeforce. He felt much better than before, much stronger. His body was no longer hurting and his vision became clearer. A few minutes later, he was able to see everything around him. He pulled the wooden beam out of his upper thigh and watched his forearm as it regrew slowly. His regeneration abilities had begun to work again.

His gaze fell on the motionless body next to him. It was Doctor Sivallah whose skin was very pale. Her gaze was blank and rested on the ceiling. She was obviously dead. Dreadfist regarded her for a few moments before he squatted down and searched her for useful items. He found a few vials filled with different coloured liquids. He found a key to a room and necklace with a pendant.

He opened the pendant, spotting a small crumbled and yellowed picture. It was the picture of a small sin'dorei boy at the age of four. Dreadfist assumed that this boy was Doctor Sivallah's son. He was wondering how old the boy was these days. He wondered if he was still alive or if he had been killed during the Third War. He had not seen that boy before nor had he seen an older version of him. He had no idea if he was still alive.

Dreadfist took all the items and then picked up Doctor Sivallah's corpse. He teleported to another place a few moments later. He was in a dark place which was not illuminated. He noticed a powerful and fearsome aura but he was not scared. He remained calm and didn't flinch as he heard loud, massive footsteps. A creature was coming closer.

Even though it was totally dark, Dreadfist could see every corner of the prison cell. He saw the huge demon that stood not far away from him and regarded him curiously. He also saw thousands of skeletons that were scattered all over the floor.

The horned, winged red-skinned creature opened its mouth to speak. "Dreadfist."

"It's a pleasure to see you, Brutalos."

"What do you want?"

"I brought you something to eat," Dreadfist replied and threw Doctor Sivallah in front of the giant's feet.

"What happened to her?" the demon asked curiously.

"I accidentally killed her."

Brutalos chuckled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Normally, I would say that I'm sorry for your loss but I would lie if I would say that. I'm glad she is gone. I hated when she did experiments with me. She did mean something to you, didn't she?"

Dreadfist shook his head. "No, she didn't. Everything about us was a lie. She reshaped me and forced me to love her. I never had a choice. But now that she is gone, I realized that she only used me."

"Do you remember anything about your old life?" Brutalos asked.

"No. Do you?"

Brutalos shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Anyway, I need to go now. Enjoy your meal, Brutalos."

A small smile appeared on the giant demon's lips. "Thank you."

Dreadfist vanished a few seconds later.

* * *

Raesh's gaze rested on the purple and bronze floating crystalline fortress. Three sectors which looked like spaceships rotated around it. One was light blue, one was red and the last one was light purple. "Tempest Keep is much larger than I have expected. I wonder how many demons and Sunfury soldiers are in there," he said to himself.

"Too many for my liking," responded a familiar voice. Raesh turned his head, spotting his mother behind him. He turned around and hugged her quickly.

"How are you doing, mother?" Raesh asked curiously.

"Better than expected, to be honest. I thought I would feel much worse in the absence of your father but it seems I found a way to deal with it."

"I will always be there for you and support you whenever I can, I hope you know that."

Sylvanas nodded and gave him a slight smile. "I know that. Thanks, Raesh."

"What do you think of what I told you yesterday?"

Sylvanas paused for a short moment. "Well... I'm worried, to be honest. The similarities you discovered don't have to mean that your father is Dreadfist but if he is... I wouldn't know what to do... I hope that similarities are just coincidences. I don't want to imagine your father being a slave of the Burning Legion... I'm afraid that your grandfather mind-controlled him and made him to his puppet. I fear he will fight us without knowing who we are. I fear the worst..."

Raesh hugged her much tighter and put his hand on her back, stroking it gently. "Everything will turn out well, mother. You just have to believe in it." Raesh had no idea what he should say to comfort his mother. All he could do was to try to calm her down. He was not as good as his father in this aspect but he was still trying his best. He believed that everything will turn out well. He had to believe that, otherwise, he feared he would fall into depression. Like his mother, he hoped that Dreadfist and his father were not the same persons.

Raesh was sure that there could be many logical explanations of why Dreadfist had swung his father's weapon and moved like him. It was possible that he had copied his father's fighting style for whatever reason. Maybe to irritate them and make them believe that he was him. Maybe he wanted them to go after him so that he could lure them into a prepared trap. Everything was possible. Raesh knew he had to remain careful and think about everything twice before he would make a decision. Every wrong decision could mean his death. He had to remain calm and control his emotions. He could not allow his emotions to act for him, otherwise, he might die.

"No matter what will happen in Tempest Keep and what we will discover there, I will make your grandfather pay for abducting your father. I don't want to imagine what he did to him... I fear the worst..."

"So do I. All we can do is to face our fears and find out what happened to father. We must find him and free him."

"We must," repeated Sylvanas.

"Freeing Tempest Keep from the betrayer's control won't be easy. It will cost many lives."

"We have no other choice than to attack the fortress. Kael'thas must be stopped by any means. We may have prevented his plan to gain control over the elemental lords but that doesn't mean he poses no threat to us. He will always pose a threat to us. We must capture him or even kill him if necessary..."

"I don't want him to die," Raesh said quietly.

"Me neither but if we have no other choice..."

A sad sigh escaped Raesh's lips. He regarded his fingernails for a few moments before he looked back at his mother who had a gentle expression on her face. She was about to say something as she heard quiet footsteps. She turned around and spotted Tyrande who was accompanied by Velsana and Vissia.

"What can I do for you, High Priestess?" the Banshee Queen asked curiously.

"You can make your troops ready to attack. The draenei managed to deactivate the shields and the security system. We are ready to invade the fortress."

"My troops are ready." She looked at her son. "Are you ready, my dear?"

Raesh took a deep breath. "I am."

Sylvanas looked at the night elven priestess. "We are ready to lead our people to battle."

A small smile appeared on Tyrande's lips. "Perfect. The other leaders and their armies are ready too. You know which area you have to clear?"

Sylvanas nodded. "Kael'thas' stronghold, The Eye. We will clear the inner palace and confront him."

"I wish I could go with you, Kael'thas had once been a good friend of mine. I have respected him back then... I wish I could confront him with you"

"You still can," replied Sylvanas.

"I know but I already agreed to lead the charge on the Botanica."

Sylvanas gave her a small nod. "I wish you good luck, High Priestess."

"I wish the same for you, Lady Windrunner."

* * *

Raesh sighed out in relief as the void creature in front of him started to dissolve. "The warmth of the sun... awaits," were its last words before it vanished.

Raesh dropped to his knees, his breathing was loud and fast. The battle had been long, intense and had cost him most of his power. The opponent they had fought had been stronger than anyone had expected. She had possessed a power no one had expected her to have.

Raesh turned his head as he noticed a person out of the corner of his right eye. It was his aunt Sydori who regarded him curiously. "Are you okay?"

"I am. I just need a few moments to calm down."

His mother approached him. "Take all the time you need to recover. We need you in a good condition if we want to defeat Kael'thas and his advisors."

"We have a problem if his advisors are as strong as Solarian."

"I doubt they are. It was the power of the void who made the high astromancer so powerful but I doubt that your grandfather's advisors possess the same power. I don't know much about the void but I assume its power is hard to control. As you have seen, the void can cause a lot of destruction in the wrong hands. I hope Kael'thas' advisors are not able to control it, otherwise, we have a problem...," said Sylvanas.

Raesh allowed Sydori to ease his pain. She put her hands on his shoulders and cast every useful spell she was able to cast. Raesh felt a lot better after a few minutes. The pain vanished and he felt less exhausted than before. His master Aethas Sunreaver walked over to him and gave him a consumable item. It was a cookie which was very tasteful and stored a large amount of arcane energy. Raesh thanked him and ate it, getting up from his knees as soon as he felt refreshed.

He turned his head and looked at his mother. "I would have never expected Solarian to be so powerful. She even transformed into a void creature... How is that possible?"

Sylvanas' shrugged. "I wish I could answer you this question but I have no idea how that is possible. It seems that Solarian had access to forbidden knowledge. She followed a forbidden path that granted her unimaginable powers but drove her into madness."

"Even though she turned evil and betrayed us, I still feel bad that we had to end her life. I feel bad about killing every single sin'dorei who joined the mad king. They are our brethren after all..."

"I understand your point of view, my son. I understand that you don't want to kill your brethren but you have to regard that matter from a different perspective. They _were_ sin'dorei. They no longer are. They are no longer blood elves, they are felblood elves. They are nothing but traitors who work for those who want to destroy our world. Anyone who serves the Burning Legion is our enemy. If we can't save them, we have to kill them."

Raesh took a deep breath. "You are right, mother. It's just... I don't know how to formulate it..."

Sylvanas put a hand on her son's right shoulder, staring into his green eyes. "We do what must be done. I don't want to kill these renegade sin'dorei but we have no other choice. If we don't kill them, they will kill us."

Raesh was silent for a few minutes, so was everyone else. Lady Liadrin, Kaelor and a female blood knight walked over to them. Liadrin's gaze fell on Sylvanas first and then on her grand cousin. "Are you ready, Raesh? The traitor king is only a few rooms away from us. It's time to stop him for once and for all."

Raesh didn't hesitate. "I am ready."

"Let's go then."

They walked through the door at the other side of the room, following the bordering corridor. They met a few felblood elves, Sunfury soldiers, demons and crystal golems. They killed all living creatures and destroyed the golems, arriving in front of a huge door which was heavily guarded. They got rid of the guards and opened the door, stepping into a room which was as huge as the room in which they had fought High Astromancer Solarian.

The room was round, the walls and the floor were purple. Raesh's eyes fell on the creatures in the middle of the room. There were lots of demons, Sunfury soldiers and felblood elves. His eyes widened as he spotted the person in the middle of them.

"I knew you were alive," Raesh said loud enough that the man could hear it.

"You stopped me one time but you won't be able to stop me a second time," replied Dreadfist.

"Where is Kael'thas Sunstrider?" asked Liadrin. "We are here for him and not for you. Let us pass and we will spare you."

"If you want to fight him you have to fight me first. The last time you only survived because of the exploding reactor. This time, nothing will stop me from killing you. I give you one last chance. Turn around and flee, otherwise, I have no other choice than to kill you."

"We won't retreat at this point, not after we have fought ourselves through the halls of this part of the fortress. Kael'thas Sunstrider must be stopped and we won't leave this fortress without him. Dead or Alive," Liadrin said determinedly. "We will kill you too if we must."

Soft laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. "Kill ME? That's the funniest joke I heard for weeks. I'm sorry to disappoint you but I won't lose against mortal weaklings like you."

"We will see about that," Liadrin responded.

Dreadfist pointed at Liadrin. "Go my minions. Bring me the head of this bitch and kill everyone else," he shouted. His minions obeyed and prepared spells or charged at the warriors of the Alliance. Raesh didn't hesitate to prepare frost spells. Sylvanas had already nocked her arrow before Dreadfist had announced the begin of the battle. Her arrow flew through the air and hit a male felblood elf right between the eyes. He collapsed a few moments later and remained on the floor. He was dead.

Sylvanas nocked another arrow, firing it at a Sunfury mage. The mage avoided it at the last moment but they were not able to avoid Vereesa's and Verena's arrows. The mage was dead before their body landed on the floor. The wrathguard next to the dead mage was hit by spells cast by Raesh and Aethas. Together, they killed the demon quickly and focused on the nearest demon, an observer that was shooting laser beams out of its eyes. It wounded several soldiers of the Alliance and even killed one of them.

Archers and mages poked its eyes out, totally blinding it. Without its eyes, the observer was not able to do anything. It was defenceless. Liadrin cut in halves with a precise sword swing.

Raesh had no idea how much time had passed when the last of Dreadfist's minions died. He checked his surroundings, spotting that lots of his comrades had been killed so far. Only his mother, Sydori, Liadrin, Vereesa, Verena, Kaelor, Rommath, Aethas, five blood knights and six Forsaken were left. They lost twenty soldiers but killed all fifty of Dreadfist's pawns.

The half-demon was surrounded by corpses, his armour was covered in blood. The sword he carried in his humanoid hand was not the same he used last time. It was not the sword of Raesh's father. It looked similar to his father's sword but there were no runes engraved in the blade. Raesh was asking himself what happened to the sword. His first assumption was that it had been destroyed when the reactor had exploded. He thought it was possible that Dreadfist had used it to protect himself. That might explain how he had survived.

He had no idea what happened to the sword but he was relieved that Dreadfist no longer possessed it. That way, their chances to defeat him were larger. Dreadfist was still wearing his mask, making Raesh wonder who was behind the mask. He was just hoping that Dreadfist was not his father. He wouldn't know what to do if he would discover that Dreadfist and his father were the same person. He had no idea what the mad king had done with his father. It was not unlikely that he had corrupted him and changed him. Raesh prayed in the name of the destroyed Sunwell that Dreadfist was not his father.

Dreadfist's upper body was covered by a corselet which looked exactly like the one they had destroyed in Manaforge Duro. He wore the exact armour but his left demonic hand was not covered by a glove this time. Five of the six runic symbols were glowing goldenly. The half-demon stood still and regarded the remaining warriors of the Alliance. He didn't intend to do the first move. Raesh thought it possible that he just wanted to buy time for the mad king.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" asked Sylvanas. "Show us who you are."

Dreadfist chuckled. "You want to know if I'm your lover or not, don't you? If that's the case, I have to disappoint you. I'm not Kelrian Sunstrider. If you are looking for him in this fortress, you won't find him. Kelrian Sunstrider is gone and he will never return."

"I don't believe that for a second. If you are not him, he must be somewhere," hissed Sylvanas. Her eyes were narrowed and she was biting her bottom lip hard. It was clearly visible that she was stressed. Stressed and troubled. Not knowing where Kelrian was and what happened to him made her very worried. She feared the worst. She was angry, impatient and unpredictable.

Raesh didn't want to imagine how his mother would react when they wouldn't find his father in the fortress. He worried about his father but he worried more about the sanity of his mother. He feared she might get a mental breakdown if they wouldn't find his father in Tempest Keep.

"Searching for him is wasted time. I might tell you everything I know about him if you agree to join and serve the Burning Legion. If all of you swear your loyalty to master Kil'jaeden, then I tell you everything I know," responded Dreadfist.

"We will never be the pawns of the Burning Legion," hissed Vereesa. "I will never allow my people to become the slaves of the Burning Legion."

Dreadfist's gaze fell on Raesh. "You are the legitimate heir of the throne. What is your opinion about it? If you join us, I'll tell you where to find your father."

Raesh tilted his head. "You just said my father is gone and now you want to offer me to bring me to him? You are contradicting yourself. You are not trustworthy at all. I'm not a fool, I won't fall for your tricks."

Dreadfist exhaled loudly. "Very well. You don't want to submit to the master, so I have no other choice than killing all of you miserable creatures."

"Try it," hissed Sylvanas and nocked an arrow. Vereesa and Verena did the same, Raesh, Rommath and Aethas prepared spells and the melee soldiers moved towards Dreadfist. The half-demon avoided all arrows and created a fel green barrier around himself which absorbed the fire, arcane and ice spells cast by the mages.

More arrows flew but they were absorbed by the barrier which broke when Aethas' arcane blast hit it. The arcane blast had been so weakened by the barrier that it didn't do any visible damage as it hit Dreadfist. His armour showed no scratches or cracks. It was undamaged.

"Is that all you got?" he asked and swung his sword, cutting off the left arm of a female Forsaken. She roared out in pain and tried to hit Dreadfist with her second axe but he executed another swing, cutting through her waist. The Forsaken's upper body fell and landed on the floor, blood was sprayed. Raesh was not sure if the Forsaken was truly dead but there was not much she could do if she would still be alive.

Raesh focused his power for a freezing spell, aiming it at the half-demon's weapon hand. Unfortunately, Dreadfist saw it coming so that he was able to jump to the side at the last moment. He dodged the spell but made himself vulnerable for a brief moment. Aethas hit him with a strong arcane bolt, causing him to stumble. The technique had done much more damage than Dreadfist had expected. The long crack in his armour started beneath his right shoulder plate and ended in the middle region of the corselet. The armour was still intact but it was damaged, meaning it could be destroyed if the gathered warriors would hit him more often.

Hitting him was harder than expected because he was pretty agile for his size and the heaviness of his armour. He avoided many arrows and spells and still managed to block most of the attacks of the melees. He got hit from time to time but his armour absorbed all the damage. More cracks appeared in the armour but it was still intact.

Dreadfist did not only avoid most of their attacks, but he also attacked them in return. Three of Liadrin's blood knights and four of the six Forsaken had fallen within a short amount of time. Dreadfist was no ordinary opponent. He was very powerful and very dangerous.

"This is taking too long for my liking," Dreadfist shouted and lifted his demonic hand, muttered words in eredun.

Raesh noticed the energy spike that was formed between Aethas' feet. Raesh acted instantly and jumped to the side, colliding with his master and ramming him away. They both landed onto the floor, the energy spike grew and shot to the ceiling a few seconds later. Aethas realized that, if Raesh had not pushed him away, he would have been skewered by the green spike. He was stunned but he regained his composure rather quickly. He got up and gave his student a thankful nod before he prepared a spell.

Raesh let his gaze wander while focusing power for another powerful spell, realizing that remaining blood knights and Forsaken had not noticed the creation of more spikes. They had been skewered by them and were obviously dead. It was horrible to see them like this. They were skewered like pigs. No matter where Raesh looked, he always had a skewered creature in his sight. Nevertheless, he was still able to focus on his spell.

Raesh noticed that one of the five golden runic symbols on Dreadfist's hand had stopped glowing. Only four of six runes were still glowing. That meant that he was still able to cast four extremely powerful spells. Raesh knew he had to pay more attention to their surroundings to prevent more of them from dying by such unpredictable spells.

He looked at his grand cousin. Despite her heavy armour, Liadrin managed to avoid most of Dreadfist's blow. She blocked those she couldn't sidestep with her shield and her sword and even managed to land a few hits in return. Kaelor was always close to her and helped her to keep the half-demon busy. Dreadfist didn't have time to shift his attention to the archers and spellcasters that were shooting lots of missiles at him.

The longer the fight endured, the more damaged his armour got. It threatened to break and fall apart with the next hit but it withstood longer than anyone had expected. Nevertheless, it broke eventually.

Aethas and Raesh had combined their powers to create a large arcane blast which had not only shattered the corselet and wounded the demon's flesh but also thrown him away. Dreadfist rebounded off the opposite wall and landed hard on the floor. Painful noises escaped his lips as he got up, blood flowed out of several medium-sized wounds in his torso. His mask had been split in two in the process, one half still covered the left side of his face while the other laid shattered on the floor.

His facial features were familiar. Raesh's eyes became even wider as Dreadfist removed the left half of the mask. Shocked noises escaped the lips of some of his companions. It was clearly visible that his mother and his aunts were shocked. Even though they had known about the possibility, they were still stunned by the discovery. They were too stunned to move or attack. They remained on their spots and did nothing except staring at Dreadfist who took advantage and created a green glowing barrier around himself.

Together with Aethas and Rommath, Raesh created prismatic barriers around the melee and ranged fighters. He could only hope that they were strong enough to protect them from Dreadfist's powerful spells.

"It is really you..." Sylvanas said. Her voice was quiet and trembled but her opponent was still able to hear her.

"No, I'm not. I'm no longer Kelrian Sunstrider. Kelrian is gone and he will never return. I already informed you about this. I'm Dreadfist, the right hand of Kael'thas Sunstrider and special agent of Kil'jaeden."

"I don't believe it," replied Sylvanas. Her eyes reflected doubt but also a small amount of hope.

Dreadfist chuckled and lifted his sword. "Then I will prove that nothing of the man you loved is left in me."

A mischievous smile appeared on Dreadfist's lips as he let his gaze wander from one face to another. Sylvanas' eyes were narrowed, her facial expression was tense. She was still holding on her arrow and was ready to let it loose. The expressions of the others were similar, their eyes rested on the creature that had once been Kelrian Sunstrider. They were ready to fight him if he would dare to attack them.

Dreadfist had no intention to not fight them. He had his orders and he intended to execute them. He focused power and sprinted towards the remaining warriors of the Alliance. He was so fast that he broke through the barrier before his opponents had realized what was going on.

The green barrier around his body was still intact and moved with him, protecting him from arrows and spells. Sylvanas fired another arrow and even sent a sphere made out of dark energy at him but both missiles were blocked by the barrier which got weaker in the process. Even Raesh's and Aethas' arcane blasts were absorbed by the barrier which still lasted. It had started to crack but it was still intact even after it had been hit by Sydori's holy smite.

Loud evil laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. "Is that all you got? Is that all the Alliance has to offer? Pathetic! I expected more of you. You are nothing but weaklings. You are nothing but tiny insects compared to me. I will show you true power."

Without a warning, he closed his demonic hand, creating a spell without needing to speak a magic formula. A rift opened and dozens of green elongated crystal splinters came out and flew towards Sylvanas and her companions. Sylvanas pulled an explosive arrow from her quiver, shooting it at the biggest splinter. The explosion tore the splinter apart before it could come too close to them. Vereesa and Verena did the same but there were still too many splinters in the air which came closer rapidly.

Raesh, his master and Rommath tried to destroy as many as they could while running into different directions. Everyone was running away and hoping to avoid the splinters somehow. The mages managed to teleport away at the last moment before splinters would have pierced their bodies. Sylvanas, Verena and Vereesa managed to dodge the biggest ones but some of the smaller ones hit them. One smaller splinter hit Vereesa in the left upper thigh. It had pierced through her armour and her flesh and caused the sin'dorei to cry out in pain. Sylvanas sprinted over to her and caught her before she would have fallen to the floor.

Sylvanas had also been hit by smaller splinters but none of them had pierced through her armour. They stuck in her corselet, her greaves, bracers and even in her shoulder plates. She had not been wounded, unlike her sister and Verena. The dark ranger didn't make any sound as she pulled the splinter out of her left hip.

Sylvanas handed her sister to Liadrin who had not been hit by any splinter. The shield of holy light she had cast on herself had protected her. Kaelor had done the same and was uninjured like his superior. Sylvanas let her gaze wander, noticing that no splinters were in the air. Those who had not hit any of her companions stuck in the floor or in the walls. Nobody had been seriously injured. Nobody except for Kelrian's sister.

Sydori laid on the floor and was surrounded by her own blood, her upper body had been pierced by a large splinter. She was still alive but her condition was critical. Sylvanas didn't need to be a doctor or healer to recognize that from this distance. Sydori was badly wounded and she wouldn't live long if no one would take care of her.

Liadrin didn't hesitate to sprint over to her and help her but Dreadfist was faster and reached his sister before his cousin. A battle cry escaped Liadrin's lips as she swung her sword but Dreadfist blocked her attack and grabbed her at the same time. She managed to free herself by leaving a deep cut in his right hip but she was not able to injure him further. He kicked her away and avoided arrows and missiles.

Sylvanas pulled another arrow from her quiver, aimed and shot. The arrow was still flying as Dreadfist did something no one had expected him to do. He picked up Sydori and held her in front of his body. Sylvanas had no control over the flight path of the arrow once she had shot it, so she could not alter it. She could not prevent her arrow from hitting Sydori in the chest.

Sydori's eyes widened, blood and painful noises came out of her mouth. The following seconds seemed like hours to Sylvanas. She had the impression that time was passing much slower suddenly as if everything around her was happening in slow motion. Sydori fell slowly after Dreadfist had let go of her. Her skin was pale, her gaze was blank. She was dead before she hit the ground. Sylvanas' arrow had hit her right in the heart. The half-demon had used her as a living shield to protect himself.

That was proof enough for Sylvanas that the man they were facing was no longer the man she had loved with all her heart. She didn't want to accept the truth but she knew she had no other choice. The Kelrian she had known was gone. Kael'thas had done something with the man she had loved. He had turned him into the creature she was now seeing. Kael'thas Sunstrider had made a monster out of his only son. He created a weapon who had no emotions and no moral values. Dreadfist was nothing but a killing machine the mad king used to get rid of his enemies.

The man she had loved would have never used his sister as a living shield nor would he fight them and kill those who wanted to stop Kael'thas. Her non-beating heart was aching as she realized that Kelrian was no longer their ally but their enemy. She didn't want to have any of this to be true but she had no other choice than accepting the truth. She had no doubt that the man who had just killed his sister would stop at nothing. He would kill them if they wouldn't defeat him first.

Sylvanas could only hope that they would manage to defeat Dreadfist without having to kill him. She knew that the odds were not in her favour but she still hoped that they could find a way to reverse what Kael'thas had done to Kelrian. She didn't know if that was possible but she hoped it was. She hoped they could defeat him without killing him. Nonetheless, she knew that they would have to kill him if they had no other choice. If they wouldn't stop him, he would kill all of them.

Or at least everyone except for Raesh. She knew that Kael'thas wanted him for his evil plans. She couldn't allow him to get her son. She didn't want that the same that happened to Kelrian would happen to Raesh too. Losing Kelrian would be bad enough but losing her son too would be the worst-case scenario. Sylvanas had to protect her son by any means.

She was more than just surprised as she found out that Raesh was capable of protecting himself against the creature that had once been his father. She had no idea what happened to Raesh but for some reason, he was more powerful than ever. A few minutes ago, he had been really exhausted and had almost spent all of his mana but now he was firing spell after spell. She had no idea what was going on but it seemed that the death of his aunt had triggered something in Raesh. He was furious. Furious and anything but exhausted.

Even Dreadfist was surprised by the sudden increase in power. He was not able to avoid Raesh's spells which were much stronger than he had expected. Each of his son's spells hit him hard and injured him. His upper body was covered by several deep wounds out of which a large amount of green blood was flowing out. The other pieces of armour got heavily damaged and some of them even broke. Not even his sword was able to protect him. Deep cracks appeared in the blade which got larger and deeper with each hit. It was only a matter of time until the sword will shatter.

Raesh noticed that his new gained power was slowly leaving him. He was aware that his time was limited. He focused all of his remaining power in one spell and shot it at the half-demon. Dreadfist was not fast enough to avoid it nor was he able to shield himself. He was hit by the blue energy sphere, the explosion knocked him away.

He landed on the floor, his entire body hurt and he was losing more blood than before. Despite the immense amount of pain he was feeling, he was still able to get up. His body was shaking, his vision was blurred but then became clearer after a few moments. He noticed that his son was on his knees and breathing heavily. He was exhausted, making Dreadfist assume that he wouldn't be able to cast another spell. The blond sin'dorei paladin kneeled next to Raesh and gave him a worried look. It seemed he was casting a spell on him.

Dreadfist let his gaze wander, noticing that Liadrin was walking towards him. She held her sword in both of her hands, determination was written all over her face. Dreadfist had no doubt that she would kill him as soon as she would reach him. Sylvanas was looking at her son but Vereesa and Verena were aiming at him. Their arrows wouldn't need long to reach him.

Dreadfist gave his body the command to move to the left but it didn't obey him. The pain paralyzed him and made him defenceless. As expected, the arrows were shot. Dreadfist knew that his fate was no longer in his hands. It was sealed. He knew he will die. He had not expected them to be able to kill him. He had not expected his son to be that powerful.

He still didn't understand why Raesh had become so powerful for a few minutes. He wished he could figure out the reason for that but he knew he wouldn't be able to find answers. That day was the day he would die. Death was the only thing he feared. He had no idea what was awaiting him. He had no idea if there was a place where the dead went. He could only hope that there was an afterlife.

He closed his eyes, expecting to die the next moment. He expected the pain to vanish but that didn't happen. He was still able to feel the immense amount of pain and he was still able to feel the auras of his foes. But there was another aura he felt. A familiar aura.

He opened his eyes and recognized Exadius who stood in front of him. The dreadlord had caught both arrows with his bare fists, his wings were spread out and functioned as a protecting shield. He turned his head and looked at his beaten partner. Dreadfist noticed the green symbols on his face and neck. The same symbols were tattooed on his skin. The marks of the Deceiver. He was surprised to see them on his partner's skin because he had not expected Kael'thas to find a way to break Exadius' will. He had no idea what his father had done to bring Exadius under his control.

But that didn't matter. Kael'thas had done it and Dreadfist was glad about that. If it was not for them, he would be dead. Thanks to Exadius, he was still alive. The dreadlord had protected him and prevented Liadrin from getting to him to deal the finishing blow.

A wide grin could be seen on Exadius' lips as he let his gaze wander. "Did you miss me?"

"Step away, evil creature. We did not come for you," shouted Liadrin. "This fight is none of your business."

"You tried to kill my partner, so it's my business. I cannot allow him to die. Lord Kil'jaeden wants him alive for his plans and King Kael'thas also has an interest in the survival of his son. It's my job to look after him," replied Exadius.

"Lord Kil'jaeden? So you are now serving the creature you swore to kill..."

Exadius' grin became wider. "I was wrong about him all the time. For millennia, I cursed him for what he did to my people but recently I realised how wrong I was all the time. He is the best thing that happened to the nathrezim. Each individual is more powerful than ever due to him. We are much stronger than we are supposed to be. We control armies, nations and worlds. Before him, only a few races knew of us but due to him, we are feared in the whole universe."

"You can't be serious...," Sylvanas replied sharply.

"I am serious."

"Your people are nothing but pawns for the Legions. Slaves who do anything their masters want. They don't regard you as equals, you only serve them as tools. They use you to achieve their goals and they don't think twice about sacrificing you to achieve their goals."

"We all serve our purposes," responded the nathrezim.

"I may not have spent much time with you but Kelrian told me a lot about you. He told me that you want to free your people from the Legion's influence. You want to save as many individuals as you can. But now you achieve the entire opposite with your actions. I have no doubt that deep inside you, you don't want to serve the Legion. You are getting forced to act like this. You are not yourself, nor is Kelrian."

"Kelrian is gone and you will never get him back. You can capture him but you will only waste your time if you try to reach him. He is gone forever."

"I don't believe that for a second," Sylvanas hissed. "There is always a solution to everything. I have no doubt I can reach him and free him from the Legion's control."

Exadius gave Sylvanas a small smirk. "Good luck with that. If you want to take him captive, you have to defeat me first." He snapped with his fingers, making a barrier appeared that wrapped around Dreadfist. The nathrezim looked at his partner. "You know what to do."

Dreadfist said nothing in return and merely nodded at him. Exadius looked back at the heroes, noticing the grim looks on their faces. Raesh was still visibly exhausted, so Exadius assumed that he wouldn't be able to participate in the fight. The others were not as exhausted as Raesh, determination was clearly visible on their faces.

"What do you mean? What does he have to do?" Sylvanas asked strictly.

Exadius gave her a mischievous grin. "You will soon find out, banshee."

Sylvanas gritted her teeth and nocked an arrow. "Last chance. Step aside and surrender. We will spare your life and find a way to free you from the Legion's control."

Exadius said nothing in return. He let his sword appear and grabbed it with his right hand, holding it in front of him.

"Alright, let's get this over with. You leave us no other choice than to kill you."

Exadius' grin became wider. "Try it."

Sylvanas let her arrow lose but Exadius reacted quickly and moved to the side. He didn't manage to avoid it but at least it didn't hit him in the head as Sylvanas had hoped for. The arrow hitExadius in the left shoulder but it was not able to break through the thick armour that covered his body. Exadius smiled but didn't make a comment.

Liadrin charged at him but he blocked her sword swing with his runeblade, knocking her away with a precise punch with his free hand. Liadrin staggered backwards and nearly fell to the floor but she was able to catch herself at the last moment. Kaelor had rushed to the dreadlord in the meantime and kept him busy, allowing the archers and mages to aim at the demon. Two arrows hit Exadius in the chest and one hit him in the left shin but none of them managed to break through his black-golden armour.

It took a while for them to finally break through his armour. It was Sylvanas who had focused a large portion of her power in one of her arrows. It had hit him in the left upper thigh and pierced through his flesh, coming out at the opposite side. Exadius managed to suppress the painful noise that would have left his lips. He whirled around furiously and hit Liadrin with his foot, sending her flying through the room.

Despite the wound she had suffered, she managed to get up. Her chest plate was shattered and covered by her own blood but she didn't care. She didn't even take the time to heal herself, instead, she picked up her sword and shield and ran back to the demon who had just thrown Kaelor to the floor. A ray of holy light wounded the demon but made him pretty angry at the same time. Exadius turned to Liadrin and regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"You are a pain in the ass, paladin. You will be the first to die by my blade," shouted Exadius and raised Worldender above his head. The fel green blade started to glow much brighter than it already did. Everyone noticed the powerful aura that was radiated by the sword right before Exadius rammed it into the floor. The following shock wave knocked everyone away. Everyone except for Exadius who stood on the same spot as if nothing had happened.

He didn't need to pull the runeblade out because it no longer stuck in the floor. There was a huge hole right where Exadius had rammed his sword into the was hovering only a few inches above the bottom of the hole. Exadius' hand still rested on the handle around which black leather stripes were wrapped.

He let his gaze wander, noticing that his opponents were getting up one by one. There were huge cracks in the floor, on the walls and in the ceiling. The ceiling looked anything but stable. It threatened to collapse but Exadius did not care about that.

He noticed that Vereesa had a lacerated wound on her forehead, her facial expression was distorted in pain but other than that she was fine. She had not suffered any serious injuries.

The nathrezim's gaze found Liadrin again who was already on her feet. He rushed over to her and swung his sword but a barrier of holy light protected her. He swung again, this time there was no barrier that could protect her but Liadrin managed to jump to the right side at the last moment. The demon was about to grab her but Kaelor bashed his hand away with a precise hammer swing, making the demon howl out in pain.

His left bracer broke and the light that was radiated by Kaelor's hammer came in contact with the demon's skin. The holy light was the most efficient weapon they had against the dreadlord. The light was the greatest weakness of all demons. It hurt Exadius the same way as it would hurt other demons.

"You filthy cock-sucking bastard," hissed Exadius and grabbed the paladin with his free hand, lifting him in the air. Kaelor lashed out but he was not able to hurt the dreadlord often enough to force him to drop him. Liadrin attacked Exadius, intending to save her subordinate but Exadius made a large leap backwards and landed in the middle of the room.

Exadius' golden eyes rested on the wriggling blood elf paladin. "I wanted to kill your superior first but now you made me so angry that I decided to end your worthless life before I end hers. Say goodbye to this world, mortal scum."

Exadius lifted his sword and brought it closer to the paladin, intending to skewer him. A powerful spell hit him in the chest, making him stagger backwards and gasp for air. His grip loosened so that Kaelor was able to get free. He didn't hesitate to run away from the demon as soon as he stood steady on two legs.

Raesh had gathered the last remains of his power to prepare a spell in the meantime but he was hesitating. He didn't want to fire it right away because the risk was too high that he would hit his lover too. He waited until Kaelor had almost reached him before he released the spell. Exadius crossed his arms in front of his chest, expecting Raesh to aim for his partly exposed torso but that had not been Raesh's intention. He had not planned to hit him but the damaged ceiling above him. The arcane blast hit the part of the ceiling beneath which the dreadlord stood, causing it to break.

Exadius was buried beneath huge pieces of rubble. For a short moment, Raesh believed that it was over but he realised quickly that it was not. The pieces of rubble started to vibrate and were thrown away in all directions a few moments later. Fortunately, neither Raesh nor the others were hit by the pieces.

Raesh's gaze fell on Exadius who was already standing again. His armour was heavily damaged, he was bleeding and even the replacement for his horn was missing. He looked pissed. Raesh noticed quickly that the upper half of the horn was not the only thing that was missing. Exadius was not carrying his runeblade. Raesh looked out for the runeblade, spotting it next to a large piece of rubble. It was closer to him than to the dreadlord who had spotted the mighty weapon at the same moment.

Raesh did not hesitate to sprint towards the sword. Exadius spread his wings and jumped into the air, flying towards the sword. He was a lot faster than the sin'dorei mage, meaning he would reach it earlier. Raesh knew that he wouldn't reach it before Exadius but there was nothing he could do about it. He had spent the last portion of his mana so that he was not able to make himself faster or slow down Exadius.

The demon reached the runeblade and stretched his arm out, his fingers were only a few inches away from the sword's handle as a shock blast hit him and pushed him away. He landed on the floor not far away from the sword but he was up quicker than Raesh had hoped for. He jumped to the side to avoid Aethas' next attempt to distract him and sprinted towards the runeblade.

Raesh knew he had to reach the runeblade before the demon, otherwise, he would win and kill him and everyone else. Getting the sword was the only way to defeat the nathrezim. There was no other way. Raesh was aware that his master, his lover and his aunt Liadrin were heavily exhausted and that his mother and his other aunt had only a few arrows left. He knew that if he would fail, all of them will die in the end.

He focused the last remains of his physical strength and made a large leap over the piece of rubble in front of him. He landed next to the runeblade and picked it up. As the demon approached, he acted instinctively without thinking about his actions. His eyes widened as he realized what he had done. He had not intended to do that, he had just wanted to pick up the runeblade and run away with it. He had not intended to do more.

Exadius' eyes were much wider than Raesh's. His mouth was wide open, his skin was paler than usual. Blood flowed out of his mouth, ran down his chin and even dropped onto the floor. Exadius lowered his head, looking at his chest. Worldender stuck deeper in his chest than he had expected. Almost the entire blade stuck in his upper body, a huge part stuck out of his back. Raesh had impaled the former king of the nathrezim with his own runeblade.

Exadius was stunned and so was Raesh but the young sin'dorei regained control over his body faster than the nathrezim. He pulled the sword out and prepared the next swing but he realized quickly that he didn't need to hit the demon a second time. The hole in the dreadlord's upper body started to expand very quickly. "No... This cannot be... That's impossible," Exadius cried out.

He watched in horror as his wings and arms dissolved, followed by his legs. "No...I will not..." were his last words before his head dissolved. Nothing was left of the former king of the nathrezim. Raesh had watched Exadius' demise in shocked silence, his face reflected surprise and guilt. He had not wanted this to happen.

He assumed that the runeblade was the reason why Exadius had died a horrible and painful-looking death. He was sure that Exadius wouldn't have died that way if he would have hit him with any other had expected the runeblade to be very powerful but he had not expected that it could kill a powerful creature like Exadius with just one clean thrust.

Raesh's gaze rested on the spot where Exadius had been standing much longer than he had planned. He averted his gaze and looked at his father, his eyes widened as he noticed that his appearance had drastically changed. Dreadfist was a bit smaller than before but much more muscular. His skin had a light greenish colour, his eyeballs were fel green but his irises were golden. Two massive wings and fel green sharp spikes came out his back. Instead of six, he had only two horns which were much larger, thicker and made out of a material that had similarities to felstones.

Dreadfist now had two demonic hands instead of only one. There were six runes tattooed on his right hand, only three of the six runes of his left hand were still glowing. Raesh knew what this meant. His father was able to cast nine destructive spells which could do serious harm to anyone who would be hit by them.

Raesh turned his head and looked at his mother, noticing that her mouth was wide open and her eyes were widened in surprise and terror. She was as shocked as everyone else. She was so shocked that she could not speak even though she wanted to talk to the man who had once been the love of her life.

"You have defeated my partner. I have to admit that I'm surprised. I did not expect that to happen. Congratulations. Too bad you couldn't know that if you kill him, you make me stronger. Exadius' death triggered my transformation. The form you see now is my true form. I am finally complete, thanks to you. No one can stop me now. No gods, no kings and no mortal weaklings like you. I am invincible."

"We will see about that," Liadrin responded.

Soft laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. "You will soon realize that you can't win against me. You only managed to defeat my partner with his own runeblade. If you intend to use it against me, I have to disappoint you. It is not as strong as it was before its creator's death. Now, it's nothing but an ordinary sword without any special powers."

"You are bluffing. I don't believe any of your words," replied Raesh.

Dreadfist's gaze fell on his son. "Come on, attack me and find out how wrong you are."

"Don't try it, Raesh," Sylvanas said warningly. "Don't listen to him. Do not do any foolish moves."

"Don't worry, mother. I may be young but I'm not naive or foolish. I know that he just wants to bait me. He wants me to do a wrong move."

"You are very smart, my son," complimented Dreadfist.

"Don't call me that," hissed Raesh. "You are not my father. Kelrian Sunstrider is, but you are not. You are Dreadfist. A demon. But you are not him."

"I'm still your biological father."

"You were. Just look at yourself and what you have become. You are not the man I looked up to my entire life. You are nothing but a fel-sucking bastard. Nevertheless, I don't believe what you said earlier. I don't believe that my father is fully gone. I have no doubt that a small portion of him is left in you. I just have to reach him but to be able to do that I have to beat you first," told Raesh.

"Good luck with that, boy. As I said, Worldender will be worthless against me now that you murdered the demon who forged it over ten thousand years ago."

"I did not murder him. It was self-defence," Raesh pressed through gritted teeth.

"Do not listen to him, Raesh. He just wants to distract you and manipulate you do something rashly," reminded Kaelor.

"He is right, Raesh. Listen to your, _lover._ He must be pretty special that you chose him. I hope for you that he is worth it. It seems that you have forgotten that it's your duty to continue our bloodline. You are leaving your family in the lurch with your decision. Sylvera is dead, so she won't be able to continue our bloodline. What a shame. I'm not mad at you, Raesh. I'm just disappointed in you. Very disappointed."

Raesh's eyes narrowed, he was clenching his fists but did not say anything in return or do anything. He remained on his spot, his hands held the runeblade tightly. He was biting his bottom lip hard, anger was reflected by his facial expression.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, his first thought was to shake it off but he decided against it and allowed the person to touch him. He turned his head and looked at his mother whose face reflected worry. "Do not listen to him," she said quietly. "He is wrong about everything. It's not your duty to continue our bloodline. Not to mention that there are still ways for you to make an heir even though you are homosexual. You are not leaving anyone in the lurch. You don't have to feel guilty."

"I know, mother. I'm glad about your support."

Sylvanas gave him a small smile. "I will help you whenever I can." She cleared her throat and turned her head, looking at Dreadfist who regarded them curiously. His head was tilted and one of his brows was raised. "What now, boy? Are you going to fight me?"

Raesh's eyes reflected determination. "I have to if I want to save my father."

"You are too late for that. Your father is gone and he will never return. How often do I have to repeat that until you accept it?"

Raesh held Worldender in front of his body, turning his head to look at his comrades. Aethas, Rommath, Liadrin, Verena, Vereesa, Kaelor and his mother were ready to fight the demon. Raesh waited until the first arrows flew and then sprinted towards Dreadfist. The demon pulled one of the spikes out of his back and increased its size, performing a spell on it. Within a few seconds, he transformed the crystal into a functioning sword.

Dreadfist blocked his son's attack with ease and gave him a provocative smile as he knocked him back, causing him to stumble. Raesh caught himself and attacked Dreadfist once again but he didn't succeed. Dreadfist blocked his attack but this time he didn't just do that. He grabbed Raesh and slammed him onto the ground before he realized what was going on. Like the first arrows the archer had shot, the following arrows also bounced off his skin. The tips of the arrows were not sharp enough to pierce through his skin. Even Aethas' fireball didn't do much.

It burned Dreadfist's skin but his body healed by itself. The technique had not bothered the half-demon at all. He blocked Liadrin's and Kaelor's attacks, kicking them away. "Is that all you got? You disappoint me, mortals."

He caught Verena's arrow with his bare fist and threw it back at her. The arrow flew much faster than before, hitting the dark ranger between her ribs. Verena's painful cry was music to his ears. He caught the arrows of the Windrunner sisters and crushed them as if they were nothing but thin toothpicks, dropping the pieces onto the floor.

"Behold the power of the Sunstrider family," Dreadfist shouted and swung his sword, creating a gust of wind that made the rangers fly through the room. He moved immediately, ramming his son away who had stepped in his way. Dreadfist reached Sylvanas and stretched his arm out, intending to grab her. Sylvanas jumped to the side at the last moment, throwing a dagger at him. Like her arrows, the dagger rebounded of his skin.

Sylvanas cast a sphere of dark magic on him, hitting him directly. He was stunned for a few seconds, allowing Sylvanas to increase the distance between them, but other than that the technique didn't do anything. Dreadfist was still uninjured. Sylvanas noticed that one of his nine remaining runic symbols had stopped glowing. She also noticed that another symbol glowed weaker than the others.

She guessed that the reason for his seeming invulnerability was the amount of power he was sacrificing every second. She was sure that he was not invulnerable, he was just using a large amount of power to protect himself. She had no doubt that there was an invisible shield around his body and that he was using lots of his power to keep it up and refresh it whenever it threatened to break. The more power he would spend, the more runic symbols will stop glowing. His power was limited but she had no idea how long he could keep the barrier up. Buying as much time as possible was the only option they had. They could only defeat him when he had used up all his reserves.

Sylvanas parted her lips, wanting to tell the others her theory. Unfortunately, Dreadfist hit her with a spell before she was able to do that. She was thrown against the nearest wall, green glowing chains came out of the wall and wrapped around her body. Sylvanas was unable to move and defend herself but at least she was still able to speak.

"The longer the fight goes the more power he will lose. He is losing power every second, so you have to keep him busy until all of his reserves are spent. You win in the long run if you play for time."

"Shut up, bitch," shouted Dreadfist and snapped his fingers. Another chain came out of the wall, wrapping itself around Sylvanas' neck. It sat tightly, causing pain to Sylvanas. Tears came up in the corners of her eyes, her throat was hurting. The chain was so tight that she was unable to speak or produce any recognizable sounds.

"Don't worry, little man. I will not kill her. I will spare her and keep her as a trophy. She will always remind me of the great victory I have achieved today," he said to Raesh, smiling as he saw the furious look on the mage's face.

"I will not kill you either but I don't need the rest to be alive. Who shall I kill first? Your other aunt? Your grand cousin? Your master? Or do we begin with your lover? What you say?"

Raesh said nothing in return. He took a defensive posture, preparing himself for an incoming attack. Dreadfist raised an eyebrow, giving his son an irritated look. "You refuse to answer? Really? Shall I make a choice then? Very well." He let his gaze wander, looking at Vereesa first, then at Liadrin and Aethas and at last at Kaelor. "I think I will kill this one first."

"Try it and I will end you," roared Raesh.

Dreadfist laughed. "Nice joke. Seems I have to put you in your place. Very well. Come to me and show me what you got."

"Don't do it," Kaelor shouted but his warning came too late. Raesh was already running towards the demon who had a wide grin on his lips. Raesh swung Worldender but his opponent caught it with his bare hand. Raesh's eyes widened as he tried to free the sword from the demon's grip but he didn't succeed. Dreadfist enclosed his hand around the blade, a quiet cracking was hearable which came much louder within a few seconds.

The unimaginable happened. Dreadfist crushed the blade with his bare hand, watching its splinters fall onto the floor. His grin became wider as he saw the shocked expression on his son's face. "I told you that the sword is basically useless when its creator is not alive. It no longer has any power. Basically, it's nothing but an ordinary sword."

Raesh's eyes rested on the hilt for a few seconds before they moved to the tall demon. Dreadfist grabbed Raesh before he could do anything and flung him to the left side of the room. Raesh landed hard on the floor right in front of the huge mosaic glass window. He was able to get up before the winged demon reached him but he was not able to do much. His whole body hurt so much that he was barely able to move without crying out in pain. Chains came out of the floor and tied Raesh up, preventing him from doing anything.

Dreadfist looked at his hands, noticing that all runic symbols on his left hand had stopped glowing. Only four symbols were left on his right hand. "They will be enough," he muttered and looked at Raesh, making sure that the sin'dorei mage was not able to do anything.

He looked at the six warriors of the Alliance that were still able to fight. They were not far away from him and cast spells or took aim. Dreadfist muttered a few words in eredun, another rune stopped glowing when he finished his spell. Dozens of chains came out of the floor, the warriors tried everything in their power to avoid them but there were too many chains. In the end, everyone was tied to the floor.

A pleased smile could be seen on Dreadfist's lips. "Seems I won. All I need to do now is to kill you. I wish I could kill you one by one but unfortunately, my mana is running low. You lasted longer than I expected. You are very powerful. I have to admit that I'm impressed by your stamina. Too bad that I have no other choice than killing all of you at the same time. Don't worry, it will be over rather quickly."

Dreadfist lifted his hands in the air, closed his eyes and focused the remains of his power. His voice was loud, sentences in eredun escaped his lips. A greenish aura appeared around his body. Raesh had no doubt that his father was casting a very powerful spell. A small sphere appeared between the chained warriors which grew larger with each passing second. Raesh noticed that glow of the remaining two runic symbols became weaker and weaker over time. The last symbol faded eventually but the spell was not completed yet. The sphere was huge but not huge enough for Dreadfist's liking.

Raesh had expected to feel powerless. He had expected that he could do nothing but watch his comrades die. He had expected that the chains would prevent him from doing anything to save them. He was more than just surprised as he realised that the chains were no longer holding him back. They were no longer tightly wrapped around his body. Unlike his comrades, he was able to move his arms and legs. He was still in pain but he ignored it as best as he could. He knew that those who were important to him would die if he wouldn't stop Dreadfist.

He had no idea how he managed to free himself nor did he know why he still had the strength to sprint towards his father who was still channelling the spell. He had no idea what was going on but he didn't care. Saving his comrades was all that mattered to him at the moment. Raesh acted instinctively and rammed his father with all of his remaining strength, hoping to stop the spell that way.

It worked but something unexpected happened. His father fell backwards and not to the side. He had intended to push him to the side but he had underestimated his strength so things turned out differently. His father collided with the window behind him that broke in the process. None of them was able to prevent the inevitable. Neither Dreadfist nor his son were able to prevent themselves from falling out of the broken window.


	60. The Sun King

The sound of splintering glass still rang in her ears as she got up and focused the remains of her strength to move to the other side of the room. She reached the huge hole in the window, stepping to the edge. The strong wind tousled her hair and blew strands into her face. She only managed to keep the hair out of her face with great effort.

She looked down, hoping to see her son and her lover. There was no one. Not even on the platforms that were floating around the fortress. She had hoped that they would have been able to get on one of these platforms but they didn't. They were not in her sight, so she had no other choice than assuming the worst. Kelrian and Raesh had fallen into the nothingness.

She could not believe it. She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to accept the truth. Accepting the truth would mean accepting that her lover and son were dead. And she didn't want that. She didn't want to believe anything. There was still a chance that they were still alive, Sylvanas hoped that at least. Kelrian had wings so it was not impossible that he had managed to fly away with their son.

This thought was the only thing she could cling on, otherwise, she would break in tears. Hope was all that she had left. It kept her sane. She could only hope for the best but life had proved her that bad things happened oftener than good things. She had to assume the worst.

Hundreds of thoughts crossed Sylvanas' mind. She didn't have the time to think over every thought nor did she feel in the mood to do it. She didn't feel well. She was in a bad mood. A very bad mood. She felt depressed, the feeling of loss became stronger and stronger. Her head felt heavy, her skin was itching and her chest was hurting. She felt shattered. She had the feeling she would start crying the next moment. She felt so sad suddenly.

The sadness quickly turned into anger as she spotted a certain man. Her crimson red eyes fixed on him and didn't leave him. She didn't need long to realize that the surroundings had changed. She averted her gaze after a while and looked around. The room they were in had purple walls and was much larger than the previous one. The first half of the room was covered by purple carpets. No carpets laid on the slightly raised platform on which the man stood. Sylvanas was sure that the man was the one who teleported them into this room.

Her gaze fell on the four pillar-shaped purple crystals that stood at each corner of the platform. Eventually, her gaze fell back on the man in the middle of the platform. She recognized the crimson red robe, the long blond hair, the bilious green eyes and the three green spheres that were rotating around his head. He was not alone. His four advisors stood next to him. Telonicus and Thaladred stood to his left while Capernian and Lord Sanguinar stood to his right.

A small grin could be seen on Kael'thas' lips as he stared at Sylvanas and her companions and applauded loudly. "I have to admit that I'm impressed. I did not expect you to defeat my champion. Congratulations."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, the anger she felt threatened to overwhelm her. "How could you do this to him?" she roared. "He is your son. You made him a monster...You turned him into a demon and sold his soul to the Burning Legion. How could you?"

Kael'thas' facial expression didn't change. "What do you mean? I made him much stronger than he could ever have imagined. I tried to make him the perfect warrior. I think I succeeded. He wiped the floor with all of you but then this miserable creature threw him through the window. That's unfortunate. Good that I took precautionary measures and prepared him for this possibility. A normal creature wouldn't be able to survive in space for too long. Fortunately, Dreadfist is not a normal creature. I told Doctor Sivallah to make sure he is able to survive in space. Let's hope she succeeded in this matter. Otherwise... He would be dead already."

Sylvanas needed a few moments to think about everything the mad king had said. "Miserable creature? I hope for you that you didn't mean my son with this insult. If so..."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow and tilted his head a little. "Then what?"

"Then I will make you suffer much longer than I originally planned. I will make you suffer for your betrayal and everything you did to Kelrian. I will make you pay in the name of my husband and my son."

The corners of Kael'thas' lips formed a barely recognizable smile. "Your husband should still be alive. Your son on the other hand... I doubt he made it. It's best if he is dead. He is a shame to my bloodline."

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed even further. She was biting her bottom lip hard, anger was reflected by her facial expression. "Say that again," she hissed furiously.

"He made a decision that may mean the end of his bloodline. How can he continue the glorious Windrunner-Sunstrider bloodline if he chooses to love men instead of women? Your son is gay, your daughter is dead and so are you. No one will continue this bloodline. What a shame."

"You know that there are other ways for him to reproduce if the kingdom needs an heir? Just because he loves men doesn't have to mean that our bloodline is endangered," responded Sylvanas.

Kael'thas didn't respond to what the Banshee Queen had said. "You noticed the potential of this combination, right? Imagine if we combine this blood with the blood of other powerful blood elf families. Imagine if we combine this blood with the blood of my felblood elves or with the blood of the agents of the Burning Legion. Do you realize how powerful their offspring can be? Do you realize how many powerful warriors we can create? The universe will belong to us. No one will be able to stop us if we have more warriors like Dreadfist or Raesh."

Sylvanas parted her lips to say something but Kael'thas interrupted her. "Why haven't I come to this idea much earlier? We could search for very powerful women among all races and make them pregnant with either mine, Dreadfist's or Raesh's children. We will create an army of powerful warriors. That way, the Sunstrider name will never be forgotten. My dynasty will never end."

Sylvanas noticed the insane look in his eyes. His voice was much higher than usual and the way he spoke was much different. He was no longer the man she had once known. She had already known that the overconsumption of fel changed him for the worse but she had not expected his condition to be that was no longer a reasonable person. He was a madman. A madman with insane ideas.

It hurt her to see her old friend like this. He had once been one of her closest friends and he was the father of her husband. He was her father-in-law, a member of her family. Nowadays, she no longer regarded him as a friend or family member. He was nothing but a traitor who wanted to commithis people to the Burning Legion. The fel had made him insane and turned him into a completely different person. He was no longer the man he had once been. He was no longer the charming ruler who had been loved by everyone. He was a crazy madman who hungered for power and allowed the chaos to control him.

Sylvanas wanted to say something to him but Liadrin was faster. "We will not allow any of your plans to succeed. You have terrorized the population of Outland for too long. We will not allow you to force the sin'dorei into slavery. It's time to put an end to your tyranny, Kael'thas Sunstrider."

Hysterical laughter escaped the mad king's lips. "Over? OVER? How can you say such things?" He seemed to be very insecure when he turned his head and looked at his advisors. His gaze fell on Capernian who gave him a nod, her expression was neutral. The insecurity vanished and replaced by self-confidence. He regained his composure, an arrogant look appeared on his face. "My reign is not over. It will never end. I will rule the sin'dorei for all eternity. I am the best thing that happened to my people, I will bring them to glory and make them more powerful than they can ever imagine."

"You have no right to force them to serve the Burning Legion," hissed Vereesa.

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed and reflected anger as they landed on the silver-haired woman. "I have every right to do that," he screamed.

"Without me, our people would be slaves to the humans. If I wouldn't have been there, Garithos would have used them as cannon fodder against the Scourge. He would have executed all of them as soon as he wouldn't have needed them anymore. Every single member of the sin'dorei owes me their lives. I have every right to make them to servants of the Burning Legion. It's not that I'm doing this for myself, I'm doing this for their own good. If I make them much stronger, our losses will be much smaller when we fight the Scourge. That's what every single one of us wants, am I right? All of us want to defeat the Scourge. Or am I wrong about this?"

"Do not use the Scourge as an excuse for your actions," shouted Aethas.

"There are other ways to defeat the Scourge. Ways that do not include our people becoming slaves to such evil creatures," hissed Rommath.

"There might be other ways but too many people will die if we follow one of these ways. My way is the one with the fewest losses," told Kael'thas.

"Even if we don't lose too many people against the Scourge, the Burning Legion will use our brethren as cannon fodder. All of our people will die in the long run. Can't you see that? How can you not realize that you will doom our people in the long run? You have no idea what you have done when you made a pact with Kil'jaeden," replied Sylvanas angrily.

Soft laughter escaped Kael'thas' lips. "You are unbelievers. You are too stupid to realize how right I am. The Burning Legion is the only way to guarantee the survival of the sin'dorei."

Vereesa spat on the floor. "Bullshit."

Kael'thas' facial features derailed. The over-confidence and arrogance were replaced by anger. "What did you say?"

"Only bullshit comes out of your mouth. Your explanations do not make sense at all. Our people don't need the Burning Legion to survive. You have no idea what our people need these days. How can you know what they need when you haven't visited Silvermoon for nearly five years? You have no idea what our people really want. They don't need corrupting power. All they need is the assistance of the Alliance. We can defeat the Scourge together. We don't need the help of these corrupted fel-sucking bastards. The sin'dorei are better without them and without you."

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed again, his face became as red as a tomato. "I AM YOUR KING! HOW DARE YOU SAY THIS! INSOLENCE! I SHOULD EXECUTE YOU FOR DARING TO MOCK ME, THE SUN KING!"

"The Sin'dorei don't need a king like you. They don't need an arrogant, over-confident and evil traitor as a king. My older sister is a way better ruler than you are," replied Vereesa. Her eyes were narrowed, a frown could be seen on her forehead and her fists were clenched. She was slightly upset.

Kael'thas was even more upset than before. He looked at his advisors as he pointed at Vereesa. "Thaladred! Telonicus! Bring me the head of this bitch. Capernian! Lord Sanguinar! Take care of the others. They are heavily exhausted from the previous fight, so you should be able to deal with them. Bring me heads of everyone who wants to stop me."

Kael'thas' advisors didn't hesitate to follow their orders. Capernian began to cast a spell and Telonicus pulled bombs from his belt. Thaladred and Lord Sanguinar moved towards the group.

Sylvanas didn't have any arrows left, so she drew her swords from her belt and took a defensive posture. She noticed out of the corner of her eyes that Vereesa and Verena did the same. Liadrin and Kaelor held their weapons tightly, thoughtful looks could be seen on their faces.

Sylvanas looked at Aethas and Rommath, noticing that their gazes rested on Capernian while they were casting spells. She assumed that the mages were either trying to counter her spell or creating a barrier that would protect them from Capernian's spells. It was also possible that one of them would attack the grand astromancer.

Sylvanas was glad that they would take care of Capernian so that she and the others could deal with the three other advisors without having to fear that the mage would throw powerful spells at them. She didn't know how powerful each individual was but she considered Telonicus as the biggest threat. He was called master engineer for a reason, so she assumed that his bombs could cause a lot of destruction. She knew it would be best to get rid of him first. She doubted he was a powerful fighter in close combat but she knew that reaching him wouldn't be easy. She was sure that Thaladred and Lord Sanguinar would do anything to keep them away from Telonicus.

Sylvanas clenched her fist and bit her bottom lip, focusing the last remains of dark magic in her body. She did not have much power left, so she had to use the remains wisely. She was hoping that she could kill Telonicus with a precise hit. Knocking him out would do it too. As long as no bombs will be thrown, she had nothing to worry about.

Sylvanas made a large leap to the side, getting out of the explosion radius at the last moment. She looked at Telonicus who had just disarmed another bomb. It landed next to Sylvanas who didn't hesitate to kick it away. The bomb exploded in flight before it could even get near an advisor. She saw Lord Sanguinar and Thaladred coming closer. They were ready to attack her but they didn't get the chance to do so. Kaelor and Liadrin rushed past Sylvanas and charged at them.

Sylvanas turned her head a little, spotting Vereesa and Verena fighting demons that had appeared out of nowhere. She assumed that Capernian had summoned them. Rommath and Aethas were exchanging spells with Capernian who managed to block most of them. She was wounded but not wounded enough for Sylvanas' liking.

Sylvanas saw another bomb flying through the air. She dodged it and the following bombs that left holes in the floor. She noticed that some of them exploded immediately when they came in contact with something while others exploded after a certain amount of time like the one she had thrown back at Telonicus earlier. She noticed that they looked different than those who exploded immediately. They were a different model.

She found out that they needed twenty seconds to explode after Telonicus disarmed them. Mostly they laid on the floor for six or seven seconds before they exploded which meant they flew around thirteen seconds. Considering that, Sylvanas realized that they would never reach the master engineer if she would throw them back. At least without a little help.

Sylvanas picked up the nearest bomb that landed next to her feet and threw it back. She had used the last remains of her power to increase the flight speed. The bomb landed next to the astonished master engineer who was not able to get out of the explosion radius in time. The shock wave caused by the explosion threw him away.

Despite the pain he felt, he managed to get up. He looked down at himself, noticing that the right half of his armour was destroyed but not only that. His skin was heavily burned, parts of his flesh were missing and he was bleeding heavily. He was badly wounded but not defeated yet.

Telonicus drew his sword from his belt, his green eyes fell on Sylvanas who sprinted towards him. He waited until she had almost reached him, and then executed a swing. Sylvanas blocked his attack with one sword while she swung the other, thrusting it through Telonicus' chest. The master engineer's eyes widened, his exposed burned face reflected shock and panic. He spat blood out as Sylvanas thrust the sword deeper into his chest. She didn't hesitate to pierce her other sword through his upper body. She regarded him for a few moments before she pulled her swords out and pushed him to the floor.

Sylvanas' face showed no emotions as she watched Telonicus die. She turned her head and looked at Kael'thas who stood behind a fel green barrier. His eyes narrowed even further but his facial expression didn't change. He was still upset **.** She checked her surroundings, noticing that Capernian was slowly winning the upper hand over Aethas and Rommath who looked more exhausted than before. It was obvious that they would lose in the long run if they wouldn't find a source of power.

Sylvanas kneeled down next to Telonicus' corpse and began to search it for useful items. She found a few small felstones in a brown pouch that hung on his belt. She took the pouch and shouted Aethas' name before she threw it over to him. Aethas caught the pouch and opened it, his eyes widened in excitement as he saw what was in it. He gave Sylvanas a thankful nod and handed some of these small felstones to Rommath.

Aethas fired an arcane blast at Capernian, forcing her to create a barrier around herself. Both mages took advantage of this opportunity where she was distracted and absorbed the energy stored in these stones. The effects occurred immediately. They looked much less exhausted than before, their skin colour looked natural again and their eyes glowed as bright as they used to do. When they felt the power rushing through their bodies, they knew that they could defeat the grand astromancer together.

Rommath fired arcane missiles at Capernian while Aethas cast a spell that was not meant to hurt the raven-haired women. The purpose of his spell was to help Sylvanas, Vereesa and Verena. Sylvanas gave him a thankful nod as soon as she realized that her quiver had been refilled with twenty-four arrows. She pulled her bow from her back and nocked an arrow, aiming at Thaladred whose back was turned towards her. The only thing that protected him was his armour but it was not thick enough to withstand Sylvanas' arrows. They were not as good as the ones she crafted herself but they were good enough to pierce through Thaladred's back armour.

A painful scream escaped the Darkener's lips as the first arrow bored its way into his back. He did not turn around before the third arrow had hit him but as he did, Liadrin thrust her sword through his right hip. Thaladred's screams became louder, more blood flowed. The warrior swung his massive axe at Liadrin but she blocked it with her shield. He prepared the next swing but stopped in his movement as two arrows hit him in.

This time, they hit him in the back of his knees. That way, he was not able to move from his spot. It was not easy for him to stabilize and prevent himself from falling over. It cost him a lot of strength to keep standing on both legs. Because of that, he did not have the strength left to defend himself properly. Liadrin thought about sparring Thaladred and take him captive. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to decide on his fate. Sylvanas had acted without hesitation. An arrow right between Thaladred's eyes had sealed his fate.

Liadrin watched Thaladred's lifeless body falling over and landing next to her feet. She regarded the dead advisor for a few moments before she looked at Sylvanas who had a murderous expression on her face. Liadrin had to admit that the face the Banshee Queen made scared her. She had no doubt that getting on Sylvanas' bad side while she was making that face would mean certain death for everyone. Never before had she seen such a frightening expression on Sylvanas' face.

Nevertheless, Liadrin dared to ask her a question. "Was this really necessary?"

"The guilty deserve to die," Sylvanas said in a low voice. "Everyone who is responsible for what happened to my son and my husband deserves to die."

Liadrin swallowed but said nothing in return. She averted her gaze from Sylvanas and looked at Kaelor who gave his best to avoid Lord Sanguinar's blows. Her subordinate's armour was heavily damaged, telling Liadrin that he had been hit a few times by Lord Sanguinar's mighty hammer. She also noticed that his movements were slower than usual. He was exhausted and wounded while Lord Sanguinar was uninjured. Liadrin didn't hesitate to sprint over to her subordinate to help him.

Sylvanas turned to the other remaining advisor, noticing that Verena and Vereesa were fighting her as well. Capernian had been hit by several arrows and spells but she was not defeated yet. The fel and the demon blood that flowed through her veins had made her much stronger and more resistant.

Capernian looked much different than before. She was much taller, her skin was crimson-red and covered by green glowing tattoos. She had transformed into a half-demon but her newly gained power was not enough to save her. She endured much longer than Sylvanas and the others had expected but she fell eventually. It had been one of Verena's arrows that had ended the grand astromancer's life.

Sylvanas averted her gaze from Lord Sanguinar's corpse and looked at Kael'thas who looked anything but amused.

"Did your arrogant tongue became silent, Kael'thas?" Sylvanas asked mockingly.

Kael'thas gave her a sinister look. "You may have defeated my advisors but you will not defeat me. I'm playing in another league. I'll give you one last chance. Surrender and I will spare your pitiful lives. I'm sure you will serve the Legion well."

"We will never serve the Burning Legion. We will do anything necessary to stop it. I rather die than serving the Burning Legion as a slave," replied Vereesa.

"Seems I have no other choice than to kill all of you. I'm sure the Burning Legion can make use of your corpses." Kael'thas lifted his hands and began to cast a spell. He was still standing behind the barrier so neither arrows nor spells could hit him and interrupt him that way.

"Liadrin, Kaelor. You need to stop the king from casting while Rommath and Aethas get rid of the barrier," said Sylvanas.

The two blood knights obeyed and ran towards the barrier. They surpassed it but were knocked away by a shock wave before they were able to reach Kael'thas. They got up quickly and ran towards him again. Sylvanas picked up Capernian's wand and drained power from it. Arcane energy as well as fel energy were stored in the wand but Sylvanas was able to drain both energies. Absorbing the fel energy felt weird but she ignored that feeling and focused on the spell she had started to cast. She created a black-green sphere which she flung at the barrier. The barrier didn't shatter but it was significantly damaged. Together with Rommath and Aethas, she managed to destroy it faster than expected.

Vereesa and Verena let their arrows loose as soon as the barrier was gone but Kael'thas wouldn't be Kael'thas if he wouldn't be able to protect himself from such ordinary arrows. The arrows ended in the floating ice shield he had created in front of him. Kael'thas made a gesture with his hand, throwing the ice shield at his opponents.

Rommath managed to dodge it at the last moment but Aethas didn't. The shield shattered as it came in contact with him. The magister fell backwards and landed on the floor, painful noises escape his lips. His robe was torn, he was bleeding from a dozen cuts in his upper body and sharp ice splinters stuck in his flesh.

Kaelor, who had been thrown away again in the meantime, rushed to Aethas and kneeled down next to him. He put his hands on the magister's torso and started to treat him. Rommath created a barrier around them before he prepared a fireball. Sylvanas shot a few arrows and then even black-green spheres. Some of them hit Kael'thas but only did little damage while others were blocked or avoided by him. He was much stronger than she had expected.

"Do you seriously think that your pathetic magic will help you against me? You haven't realized that you cannot win this battle. Or you have realized it but you don't want to accept it. You cannot win. How often do I have to demonstrate my superiority?"

Kael'thas created a fireball which would have hit Sylvanas and caused serious burning wounds to her if she wouldn't have jumped to the side at the last moment. "You are pretty fast, Sylvanas. Let us see how you fare when your world is turned upside down," Kael'thas shouted as he completed another spell.

Sylvanas was lifted in the air, high above Kael'thas and the others. She could not move or was she able to get free. She could not even use her bow to attack Kael'thas. She was paralysed but she was not the only one. Aethas and Vereesa had also been lifted in the air and were unable to do anything just like her. All they could do was to watch what was happening.

The Banshee Queen expected Kael'thas to shoot a spell at her but fortunately, Kaelor, Liadrin, Verena and Rommath kept him busy. They did not manage to seriously injure him but at least they prevented him from killing the trapped fighters. Whatever spell kept them in the air got weaker eventually. Sylvanas, her sister and Aethas sank and landed on the floor eventually. They felt dizzy at first, Vereesa almost vomited, but somehow managed to hold it back. Their heads stopped spinning eventually so that they were able to re-join the battle.

The first thing Sylvanas did was to aim at the phoenix the mad king had summoned. She shot three arrows in total, the phoenix avoided two of them but it was hit by the last one. The arrow stuck in its left side, blood flowed but it was still able to fly. It spat fire at Sylvanas but she avoided the fiery breath by ducking beneath it. She fired another arrow, hitting the creature's left wing. It hurt her to injure such a beautiful creature but she had no other choice. It would burn her alive if she wouldn't kill it first.

The phoenix crashed to the floor not far away from her but it was not dead yet. It was still alive but not for long. Sylvanas ended its suffering with a clean shot, watching it dissolve. Her gaze rested on the phoenix's ashes for a few moments before she lifted her head and looked at Kael'thas.

The mad king looked less self-confident than before. Sylvanas did not know what exactly happened because she had been busy fighting the phoenix but she assumed that her companions had shown him what they were capable of.

Kael'thas' robe was dirty and torn at some points, he was bleeding but none of his wounds were serious. He had only suffered cuts, some were longer and deeper than others. No yawning wounds or broken bones so far. Kael'thas was pretty healthy but annoyed. Annoyed and angry. He was anything but amused, the arrogant look on his face had vanished so had his over-confidence.

Sylvanas was not sure if he had realized how serious the situation was for him. She was not sure if he was aware that he was playing with his own life. He no longer had the upper hand. Both sides were equally strong and it was only a matter of time until Kael'thas would have used up most of his mana. Some of Sylvanas' companions were slightly injured but they were not exhausted.

Sylvanas fired an arrow, a ghostly smile crept on her lips as a painful scream escaped the mad king's lips. He broke the shaft of the arrow but the tip still remained in his shoulder. He did not dare to pull it out, knowing he would leave an open wound that way. He cursed loudly as he avoided an arcane missile at the last moment but he was not able to prevent getting hit by a shock wave cast by Rommath. Kael'thas was thrown away and collided with the wall behind him.

Sylvanas shot a dark-green sphere at him followed by several arrows but the mage was back on his feet before the missiles reached him. Sylvanas had no idea why he was already up again nor did she know how he had managed to create a barrier within less than a second. The barrier was still intact after it blocked Aethas' and Rommath's spells. Not even Liadrin's and Kaelor's weapons damaged it. It almost seemed as if the barrier was indestructible. Sylvanas quickly found out the reason for that. It was not indestructible. It was just refreshed constantly. It was constantly provided by energy emitted by the four pillar-shaped purple crystals.

Kael'thas hide behind the barrier and no one of Sylvanas' comrades had any idea how to destroy it. They couldn't surpass it nor could they destroy it as long as the crystals were still intact. They also stood behind the barrier, meaning that they couldn't be destroyed either. There was nothing Sylvanas and her group could do about it.

Kael'thas rose in the air until he was on the same height as the pointed ends of the crystals. A wide grin could be seen on his lips as he began to drain power from all four crystals. "I have not come this far to be stopped! The future I have planned will not be jeopardized! Now you will taste true power!" he yelled.

He drained more and more power, his aura was getting stronger and stronger and his wounds healed on their own. Whatever he was doing, Sylvanas doubted it was anything good. Kael'thas grew a little in size, the colour of his eyes became much darker and his skin grew paler. Suddenly, the glass window exploded, the glass splinters were sucked out into the nothingness. Kael'thas hovered in the air much longer but then his body was finally lowered until his feet touched the floor.

The barrier vanished the moment he stood steady. No one hesitated to shot their prepared spells and nocked arrows at the king. Kael'thas lifted his left hand, making the spells and arrows stop in flight. His lips formed a wide grin as he spotted the stunned expressions on the faces of his opponents. None of them had expected him to be able to do that.

He had not only stopped their spells in flight, but he also sent them back to their creators. Aethas was hit by his own spell, a frost bolt, Rommath managed to avoid his fireball at the last moment. Sylvanas had shot another arrow in the meantime which collided with the returning arrow. Both arrows broke in the process, the pieces landed on the floor.

Verena split her arrow into halves with her sword before it could have hit her. Only Vereesa had not been able to avoid hers. The arrow's flight path had been altered, so it had not hit her head but her right shoulder instead. Her face was distorted in pain, painful noises escaped her lips. She did not drop her bow but with the arrow in her shoulder, she was not able to use it. Kaelor and Liadrin were not in her reach, so they could not treat her. They were not far away from Kael'thas who had made his runeblade appear in the meantime. He carried Felo'melorn in his right hand and already prepared a spell with his other hand.

Liadrin and Kaelor approached him but they were thrown away the next moment. They needed much longer to get up than the last time, telling Kael'thas and everyone else that they were not as fit as they had been before. The battle had exhausted them just like everyone else. Only Kael'thas didn't seem to get was overloaded with power that seemed to be had no idea how they should defeat a maniac who had access to unlimited power. Kael'thas was right, he was playing in another league. None of them was a match for him. Even united they were not able to defeat him.

Just at the moment when Sylvanas thought that all hope was lost, when Kael'thas had thrown them onto the floor after he had lifted them into the air, familiar creatures entered the room. Dozens of soldiers of the Alliance led by Jaina, Tyrande and Malfurion didn't hesitate to attack the mad king who was as surprised as everyone else. Neither Sylvanas and her companions nor Kael'thas had expected reinforcements to arrive. Sylvanas' group had thought that they were on their own, some of them had even accepted their deaths. They were more than just relieved that reinforcements were there to save them and help them defeating Kael'thas.

Despite the reinforcements, the battle endured much longer than expected. Several warriors were wounded, many lost their lives, some of those had been thrown out of the broken window.

After a while, they finally got the proof that Kael'thas' power was not limitless. Kael'thas' aura was much weaker, the first signs of exhaustion showed up. He fought tooth and nail, killing more warriors of the Alliance. But he was not able to defeat everyone. There were too many warriors left.

Finally, Kael'thas dropped to his knees after he had spent his last reserves. He was breathing heavily, his face was covered in sweat and blood was flowing out of his mouth and out of dozens of wounds. The blood that stuck on his robe had a much darker colour than the partly torn fabric. Most of the blood was his. He was badly wounded and heavily exhausted. He had reached his limit. He had not believed that the Alliance could defeat him. He was not surprised but shocked. Shocked that his powers had not been enough to kill all of his opponents.

"This is impossible...," he muttered as he tried to stand up but his strength left him, causing him to fall to the floor. He laid in his own blood and tried to get up. He didn't have the strength to do that but at least he was able to crawl to the nearest column and lean against it.

His vision blurred, became clear again a few moments later but then blurred again. The clarity of his sight changed from moment to moment. Nevertheless, he was able to recognize the seven creatures that had approached him. They had formed a circle around him and regarded him with grim looks on their faces.

His gaze fell on his former friend who was his daughter-in-law at the same time. "All I did... was for the glory of my people...I just wanted the best for them..."

"Making them slaves is the whole opposite of the best. Your actions would have only led to the extinction of the sin'dorei. The Burning Legion would have used them as cannon fodder until no one would have been left," Sylvanas replied.

"No... that's not true... Kil'jaeden promised me..."

"Kil'jaeden is not a trustworthy creature. Anyone who trusts a demon is a fool," Liadrin hissed sharply.

Kael'thas spat blood out. He turned his head a little, his good eye fell on Liadrin. His other eye was swollen. "I always thought of the sin'dorei...whenever I made a decision...My only intention was to help our people...The Burning Legion...is the only way to guarantee the survival of the sin'dorei..."

"If you seriously believe that, you are really lost," responded Vereesa.

Soft laughter escaped Kael'thas' lips. "I never imagined that my people would be the ones to bring me down...Destiny is ironic and cruel...so is life..."

No one responded to him. They just stood there and watched the defeated king as he drew his last breaths. They witnessed the last moments of his life and heard his last words. "Kelrian...I am...so...sorry."

Kael'thas' gaze became blank, his body became limp and his head fell to the side. The six elves and the human regarded him silently for several minutes. Tyrande was the one who broke the silence by clearing her throat. "We had no other choice other than to stop him. We saved Azeroth from another tyrant."

"I wish there would have been another way to stop his tyranny," Sylvanas said quietly, her voice reflected sadness. "He was a good friend and my father-in-law...And now he is just...dead."

Vereesa walked over to her sister and put a hand on her shoulder, looking at her in a comforting way. "We did all we could. We tried everything in our power to stop him without killing him. We even offered him to surrender but he rejected our offer. His life was in his hands. There was nothing we could have done for him."

Sylvanas nodded but said nothing.

"He was my friend too," said Jaina. "His death affects me the same way as it affects you."

Sylvanas looked at Jaina but said nothing to her. There was a small amount of sadness in Jaina's eyes.

"Illidan will try to take over Outland as soon as he hears of Kael'thas' death," said Malfurion.

"Then we have to stop him too," responded Liadrin. "He is nothing but another tyrant we must stop for the sake of Azeroth."

Sylvanas noticed the sadness in Tyrande's eyes that disappeared rather quickly as she put on a brave face and nodded. "We must," the high priestess repeated quietly.

"We should bring the corpses to Dalaran and tell the draenei that they can occupy their fortress again. We should inform the other leaders of our victory," said Liadrin.

"We should keep an eye out on Illidan and his forces but we shouldn't do anything about him yet. Our soldiers are exhausted and need to rest. They need time to recover. Maybe we allow them to rest for a week or two before we send them back to Outland. Despite the circumstances, I think we should celebrate this victory. A celebration will keep our soldiers motivated and increase their morale," said Malfurion.

"I'm not really in the mood to celebrate," muttered Sylvanas.

"What did you say?" Malfurion asked.

"Nothing of importance," Sylvanas replied and turned away. Her gaze fell on Felo'melorn that laid in a puddle of blood. Kael'thas' blood. She walked over to it and picked it up, regarding it thoughtfully. She noticed the power rushing through her body as she touched it. She had automatically absorbed a small portion of the stored energy without meaning to do so. She hadn't intended to do it but it had happened nevertheless.

"I should give Felo'melorn to Lyandra in case my son didn't make it," Sylvanas said quietly. Vereesa's face reflected worry as she looked at her older sister. She got closer to Sylvanas, wanting to comfort her but Sylvanas had already started to walk towards the room's exit. Vereesa exchanged looks with Verena who was as worried as she was and then hurried after her sister.


	61. Whereabouts

His eyes shot open but his sight was blurred so he was unable to recognize his surroundings. He saw bright blurred colours and the outlines of something or someone. It could be a person or an object, it could be basically anything. He had no idea what was in front of him. He felt the pain rushing through his body in waves. The pain was much worse than the last time he had been wounded.

The pain didn't stop nor did it ease off but at least his sight became clearer. Only slower than expected. He recognized the outlines of a creature. A demon. But not just any demon. It was a nathrezim. After a while, he recognized that it was a familiar nathrezim. One who had betrayed him. But it was not Mal'Ganis.

The nathrezim was no other than Xertus who stood in front of him and regarded him with an emotionless expression on his face. The man turned his head slowly, checking his surroundings. He laid on a table, his upper body was exposed and his lower body armour was damaged but still intact. He was surrounded by demons of various races that were using their magic to treat his wounds.

He waited until they had closed the last remaining wound on his torso and sat up slowly. His limbs were still hurting but at least he was no longer bleeding. He had no idea how long the pain would endure. All he could do was to hope that it will stop soon.

He looked at Xertus whose gaze still rested on him. "Where am I?"

"You are in my domain."

"And where is that?"

"That's none of your business."

"We are equal, so I don't see a reason why you shouldn't tell me where exactly I am."

"We are no longer equal," replied Xertus. His voice was cold and emotionless as usual.

The man raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"You and your father failed. Your mission failed, so you got demoted. We no longer have the same rank. You are no longer one of Lord Kil'jaeden's special agents," explained the dreadlord.

"Our mission failed?" the man asked doubtingly.

Xertus nodded. "The Alliance stormed Tempest Keep and killed everyone they found in there."

"Everyone? Even my father?"

"He perished too." Xertus tilted his head a little and frowned as he noticed the sadness in the half-demon's eyes. "But he won't stay dead for long," he added.

The half-demon's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" Hope was reflected by them.

"Priestess Delrissa is already working on a way to bring him back. The master is not done with him yet. Your father still has a task to fulfil."

"What does the master want him to do?" the half-demon asked.

"That's none of your business."

"Where is my son?"

Xertus was silent.

"Where is my son?" the half-demon repeated louder.

Xertus turned around and started to walk to the opposite side of the room. He opened the door and signalized the half-demon to follow. The half-demon got up from the table, taking careful steps. He needed a few moments until he got the feeling over his legs back, then he was able to walk at a normal pace. He followed the nathrezim to a totally dark room. Xertus snapped his fingers, causing the room to illuminate.

The room was totally empty except for a bed and machine next to it. A creature laid on the bed, several hoses stuck in its arms and upper body. A green liquid was constantly pumped through the hoses that were also connected with the machine. The only sound that was hearable was the rhythmical peeping produced by the machine.

The half-demon did not hesitate to walk over to his son, worry was reflected by his eyes. He regarded him from head to toe, noticing the fel crystal that stuck in his chest. "What's this," he asked Xertus as he pointed at the green crystal.

"That's the only reason your son is still alive. He was close to death when I found him floating through space. I have no idea how he managed to survive so long without oxygen but he did it somehow. It's still a riddle to me. Anyway, I would have lost him if I wouldn't have rammed the crystal into his heart. You should thank me for saving him."

The half-demon didn't hesitate to do as he was requested. "Thank you."

Xertus' facial expression didn't change. "You are welcome."

"So Raesh is still alive but it seems that he is in some sort of a coma."

Xertus looked at the numbers shown on the machine's display. "He should wake up in a few hours and then we'll begin."

The half-demon raised an eyebrow. "Begin? With what?"

"With his transformation. Originally, Doctor Sivallah was supposed to change him in a similar way as she has changed you but she is nowhere to be found. She is missing for weeks. You don't know where she is, do you?"

Raesh's father shook his head.

"Too bad."

"Is there anything else I need to know? About the master's plan or something else?"

Xertus thought for a moment. "Not really."

"We are in the Twisting Nether, aren't we?"

"We are. Why do you want to know that, Dreadfist?"

The half-demon hesitated. "Just to know if what I have planned will work."

Xertus tilted his head. "And what would that be?"

"That." A barely recognizable grin appeared on the half-demon's lips. Xertus didn't see it coming, he didn't know what the half-demon had in mind until it was too late. His eyes widened, blood flowed out of his open mouth.

Xertus lowered his head, looking down at himself. For the first time since the half-demon had woken up, the nathrezim's face reflected emotions. Shock, disbelief, dismay and even fear could be seen. "How dare you...," he groaned but he was not able to finish his sentence. The half-demon pulled his heart out of his chest and squashed it like an overripe fruit. A mischievous grin appeared on the half-demon's lips as he noticed the blank look on Xertus' face. "By the way, my name is not Dreadfist. I'm Kelrian, just you know."

The nathrezim drop to his knees and then his body began to dissolve. The process was slower than expected and very satisfying to watch. Xertus got what he deserved. It was his fault that everything went down the tube. Due to his betrayal, Kelrian and his partner had been caught and turned into slaves of the Burning Legion. Xertus was jointly responsible for his deformation, Raesh's condition and Exadius' and Sydori's deaths.

If it would have not been for Xertus, Kelrian would not look like a monster and no fel crystal would stick in his son's heart. His sister would still be alive and even his father may still be alive. Kelrian was convinced that he could have found a way to free his father from the Legion's control.

Xertus got what he deserved and now it was up to Kelrian what to do next. If what Xertus had said about his father was true, then he had to do something about it. He had to free his father somehow, that was his duty as his son. But to do that he had to find him first. He had to find out where he could find him and Priestess Delrissa. He hoped that any of the demons in this place could give him the information he needed. He would do anything necessary to get them, he would stop at nothing. Not even torture was taboo for him. In his opinion, these demons deserved the pain he would inflict to them. Anyone who served the Legion voluntarily deserved to suffer.

Kelrian picked up Xertus' sword from the ground and regarded it before he looked at his unconscious son. He stroked his cheek with the back of his hand. "Don't worry, my son. I won't be away for long. You stay here while I will make these disgusting creatures speak. I will be back soon."

With that, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

The slaughter was finally over. The screams had died away and the resistance had stopped. No curses, painful noises, shouts or other battle sounds could be heard. Silence had finally come. Kelrian pulled his sword out of the motionless body of the female eredar he had just slain. He bent down and tore a large piece out of her robe to clean the blade of his sword. He stood up again and let his gaze wander. He stood in a small lake of dark green blood in which lots of corpses and separated body parts swam. Corpses of dead demons.

He was satisfied. All demons in Xertus' domain were dead and he got the information he had wanted. He knew where Delrissa had brought his father and how she wanted to bring him back. He didn't find out what the Burning Legion wanted his father to do but he had no doubt that he would find out soon. He had come closer to his goal of rescuing his father. Even though he had done terrible things, Kelrian still wanted to save him. He had sworn to do anything necessary to free him and he did not intend to revoke his promise.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to leave the unknown place yet because he wanted to look after his son first. Maybe he would even take him with him. It depended on his son's condition. Kelrian put the sword with the crimson-red blade in the sheath and walked towards the exit. He had to walk around the bodies of larger demons and even climb over the corpses of infernals, doomguards and pit lords. He reached the exit eventually and left the room, walking through the bordering corridor. He arrived in front of the room where his son was, entering it without hesitation.

He illuminated the room, spotting Raesh who sat upright and forcefully pulled one hose after the other out of his body, not caring that he was hurting himself. "Easy partner," Kelrian said as he approached his son.

Raesh turned his head and looked at his father. His eyes were suffused with blood, his skin had a faint green colour. He didn't look healthy at all. Raesh pulled the last hoses out and moved his hand to his chest. Kelrian reacted quickly and grabbed his hand before he could pull out the fel crystal. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Raesh tilted his head but said nothing, regarding his father emotionlessly. "The crystal is the only thing that keeps you alive. If you remove it... Well, I assume you know what will happen then," explained Kelrian.

Raesh looked down at his chest, then at his father who gave him a worried look.

"How are you feeling, my son?"

Raesh did not answer, he just shrugged.

Kelrian sighed. "Are you unable to speak or do you just don't want to speak to me?"

Raesh didn't answer.

Kelrian caressed his forehead. "Well, it's up to you if you want to speak to me or not. I'm not forcing you to anything. I just want to help you, I hope you know that."

Raesh remained silent.

Kelrian exhaled loudly. "I wish I could spend more time with you and find out if you are alright but there is something I have to do. I found out that the Burning Legion wants to bring your grandfather back to life. I have no idea how they want to do it but I have to do something about it. Either I prevent them from bringing him back or I free him from their control as soon as they brought him back. I don't have much time. I cannot allow myself to come too late. It's up to you if you come with me and help me or if you go somewhere else."

Silence.

"You are not making things easy for me, Raesh."

Raesh didn't react.

"Do you want to join me?"

Raesh hesitated but then shook his head.

"Do you want to go back to Azeroth?"

Raesh nodded.

"To Silvermoon?"

He shook his head.

"To Undercity?"

Raesh nodded.

"Your mother is probably worried sick. You should go to her so that she knows you are still alive."

Raesh nodded again.

"Alright partner." Kelrian focused his power and created a portal to Undercity within a few minutes. "Make sure your mother knows that I'm still alive and no longer a slave to the Burning Legion."

Raesh nodded.

Kelrian pointed at the portal. "See you soon, my son."

Raesh regarded his father for a few moments before he turned around wordlessly and walked through the portal which closed behind him. Kelrian started at the spot where the portal had been for a few moments before he created another portal to a different place. He made sure he had everything he needed before he stepped through it.

* * *

Kael'thas regarded his reflection in the mirror. He was not pleased with what he was seeing. His whole skin was as white as chalk except for the left and right sides of his upper body which were dark purple. The huge crystal that stuck out of his chest had a similar colour to his bright green glowing eyes. His hair was pale blond and his face no longer looked handsome. He didn't look like himself. He no longer looked like the handsome king who had once been admired by the most sin'dorei women. Now he was anything but handsome. He looked like a monster. No one would find him attractive and ever admire him again.

Kael'thas turned around, his eyes narrowed and reflected anger as they fell on the shivarra who stood not far away from him. "What did you do to me, Delrissa?"

The shivarra turned her head and looked at Kael'thas. "What do you mean, your majesty?"

Kael'thas approached her. "Have you seen how I look like?" he asked angrily, his voice was much louder than before.

"I'm not blind. Of course, I see what you look like."

"Then you can tell me what is wrong about my look."

Delrissa hesitated. "You look different."

"Really? How did you come to that conclusion?" Kael'thas asked sarcastically.

"So you are not pleased with the way you look?"

Kael'thas' eyes narrowed. "No, of course not. Would you want to look like this?" he asked angrily.

"Well..."

"YES?"

"Not really, to be honest."

"So, tell me why I might be angry."

"You don't like your appearance."

"I HATE it. I look like a monster and it is your fault," he roared.

Delrissa raised all six hands in apologize. "I'm sorry, your majesty. It's not that I did it on purpose. There was only one way to bring you back. The fel crystal in your chest is responsible for your change in appearance. Ihave no influence in this matter. Your body changed by itself due to the effect of the was nothing I could have done to prevent your body from changing."

"You ruined my good look. Do you realize that? Do you realize the consequences of that? There is no way I will ever impress a woman with that face."

"Looks don't matter to the Burning Legion. Only power matters. There will be enough women who will mate with you due to the power you possess. The Alliance murdered you but you are still not dead. Most of your soldiers died but that is no problem. We will build a new army for you. You still have much power and influence. Don't worry about your love life. That's the least of your concerns. There are other things we have to take care of," told Delrissa.

"What does the mistress want me to do?" Kael'thas asked curiously.

"You can ask her yourself," replied the shivarra and pointed at the creature who had just entered the room.

Kael'thas turned his head, spotting Alyssa who was walking towards him. The demon who had once been a night elf stopped in front of him and looked down at him. Kael'thas did not hesitate to bow in front of her and kiss her hand. Alyssa smiled at him and put a hand beneath his chin, caressing it.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Lady Felspeaker."

"I wish I could say the same but... You already discovered what happened to your good-looking face."

"It's the fault of this bitch that I look like this," snarled Kael'thas and pointed at Delrissa.

Alyssa looked at the shivarra. "I'm sure the priestess did everything in her power to preserve your good looks."

"I did, mistress," replied Delrissa.

Alyssa looked back at Kael'thas. "Back then I was a night elf, I also cared for looks. I judged people based on their looks but I no longer do that these days. I only judge people by the power they possess. The Burning Legion doesn't give a shit about looks, all that matters to them is power. You are a very powerful being and that is all that matters to me. Your good looks were nothing but a nice bonus."

Kael'thas nodded. "I understand, mistress."

Alyssa lifted his chin a little, staring into his eyes. "I suppose you want to take revenge on the Alliance for what they did to you."

"I long for the death of every single traitor. Those sin'dorei who turned against me deserve to die. Lady Liadrin, Vereesa Windrunner, Kaelor Pridestone, Magister Aethas Sunreaver and Magister Rommath. All of them will regret that they chose the wrong side."

"What about Jaina Proudmoore and Sylvanas Windrunner?" Alyssa asked.

A thoughtful look could be seen on Kael'thas' face. "I will find a just punishment for them. The extermination of all traitorous sin'dorei has priority for me."

"Very well. You have a new task."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to use the Sunwell to summon Lord Kil'jaeden to Azeroth."

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow and frowned. A confused expression could be seen on his face. "But the Sunwell is destroyed..." Doubt was reflected by his voice.

Alyssa chuckled. "It can be restored."

Kael'thas appeared more confused than before. "And how?"

"Have you ever heard of a creature called Anveena Teague?"

Kael'thas shook his head. "No, I didn't. Who is that?"

"She appears to be a beautiful human girl but she is anything but that. She is something different, something powerful."

"You are speaking in riddles."

"Let me explain. She is not a real human. Basically, she is an avatar which holds the powers of the Sunwell. The details are too complicated to explain. All you need to know is that you can restore the Sunwell with that creature."

A thoughtful look could be seen on the mad king's face. " So you want me to use her to restore the Sunwell and summon Lord Kil'jaeden."

Alyssa nodded. "Exactly."

"I will do as you say, mistress."

The corners of the demon's lips formed a satisfied smile. "Wonderful."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Alyssa's smiled became wider. "Now that you say it, there is indeed something you could do for me."

"I will do anything you demand from me, mistress."

"I want you to satisfy me."

Kael'thas raised a brow, confusion was reflected by his eyes. "What?"

Alyssa winked an eye. "You heard me correctly."

"I do not understand."

"I'm a living creature with emotions and needs just like you. Now that Exadius and Xertus are dead, I have no one who can take care of my lower desires."

Kael'thas didn't hesitate to answer. "I understand, mistress."

Alyssa pointed at the door through which she had come from. Kael'thas began to walk towards it. Her gaze fell on Delrissa. "You too."

Delrissa raised an eyebrow. "Me too?" she asked confused.

"You will join us too, Delrissa."

The shivarra nodded. "As you wish, mistress."

* * *

"Where is he?" Kelrian asked the demon that laid to his feet.

The demon coughed blood out. "You are too late. He is no longer here." He pressed his left hand on the yawning wound in his left hip, hoping he could slow down the bleeding that way.

Kelrian grabbed the demon and lifted him up, shaking him violently. "WHERE. IS. HE?"

The demon grinned at him maliciously. "Not here."

Kelrian gave the demon a head butt, breaking his nose. A loud painful cry escaped the eredar's lips, green blood flowed out of his nose. "If I were you, I would speak before I break more of your bones."

"Never," hissed the eredar. He spat blood in Kelrian's face, causing him to get angrier than he already was. Kelrian threw the demon against the nearest wall, watching him writhing in pain when he landed on the floor. Kelrian approached the demon and squatted down, letting a knife with a curved blade appear. He pressed the tip against the demon's red cheek, leaving a long cut.

"Do you want to speak now or do I have to make you suffer much longer? I'm not enjoying this, just you know. If you tell me what I want to know, I will end your suffering. Your death will be swift and not painful. Promised."

"Why should I tell you where he is if I'm going to die anyway? There's nothing in it for me."

"Will you tell me everything you know if I spare you?"

A thoughtful look could be seen on the eredar's face. "How do I know that can I trust you?"

"You can't know. You have no other choice than trusting me. Telling me what you know is the only way for you to get out alive. You don't want to end like your friends, do you?"

The eredar let his gaze wander over the demon corpses that were scattered all over the floor. Kelrian had slaughtered all servants of the Burning Legion he found in the base. To his defence, they had attacked him first. The eredar looked back at Kelrian who smiled as he noticed the fear in the demon's eyes. It was too obvious that the eredar was afraid of dying.

"I will make you this offer only once. Tell me where I find Priestess Delrissa and my father and I will spare your worthless life," Kelrian said insistently and pressed the tip of the knife against the eredar's throat.

The quivering eredar nodded. "I will tell you everything I know."

Kelrian removed the knife. "Go ahead."

"They left this place to go somewhere else where they could plan the invasion of Quel'Danas"

"The invasion of Quel'Danas?" Kelrian asked doubtingly. "Why would they want to invade it? There is nothing useful they can get from there. There is nothing of importance they can destroy."

"I have no idea why they want to do that," responded the eredar.

"When will they attack?"

"The attack already started. You are too late."

"Fuck," cursed Kelrian,

"I told you everything I know. Now it's your turn to keep your part of the deal. Let me go."

"Alright. You will get what you deserve."

The eredar's eyes widened in fear as he realized what the half-demon meant. "Wait, that was not the..."

Kelrian didn't allow the demon to finish his sentence. Loud screams escaped the demon's lips as Kelrian buried his fangs in the demon's neck and began to suck his blood and lifeforce. The demon tried to resist but Kelrian's grip on his body was too strong. The eredar's attempts to get free became weaker and weaker with each passing second. Kelrian didn't need long to steal the eredar's lifeforce and blood. He dropped the empty body on the floor and wiped his mouth clean. He turned around and looked at the creature who had watched him the entire time.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

The female nathrezim shook her head. "Not really. For a moment I thought you were going to spare him because that's what heroes do. Heroes like you keep their promises, don't they?"

"I'm no hero," replied Kelrian.

"But you are not a villain either."

"That's right."

"What are you then if you are neither hero nor villain?"

Kelrian shrugged. "No idea. I don't really care, to be honest. I just do what must be done."

"Killing him was the right choice. We can't allow him to tell his mistress that we know where your father is. She will send more troops to Quel'Danas if she knows that we are coming," she explained.

"I guess you are right."

"We should go now. We are already late to the party due to the numerous assassins that attacked us on our journey. If it wasn't for them, we might have arrived in this place days ago and captured your father before he could have taken his troops to Quel'Danas."

"You don't have to join me, Danara. That is my business. It's my task to stop my crazy father. You don't have to do this for me. I'm already grateful enough that you helped me reach this place. I wouldn't have found this place alone."

"The Burning Legion is responsible for the death of my father. Alyssa and Kil'jaeden are responsible for his fate. As his oldest daughter, it's my duty to follow his footsteps and end what he has started. It's my task to free my people from the Legion's control. I have to avenge him. I will do anything necessary to kill Kil'jaeden, even if I have to give my life. Your father is our best trace to find Kil'jaeden. If we capture him, we might find out Kil'jaeden's whereabouts. I have every reason to help you," Danara explained.

Kelrian gave her a small smile. "I don't say no to a helping hand."

Danara pointed at the portal she had created while Kelrian had interrogated the eredar. "We must go now before it is too late."

Kelrian nodded. "I'm ready."


	62. The Sunwell Plateau

"They won't stop firing, will they?" Alleria asked as she pulled another arrow from her quiver.

Sylvanas looked at her older sister, noticing that she was hiding behind a column to prevent any missiles from hitting her. Sylvanas herself was taking cover behind the remains of a wall that had been destroyed by an explosion much earlier. She was wounded but it was not a serious wound. Just an arrow that stuck in her left upper thigh. Next to her squatted Verena who removed the arrow and used a necromantic spell to close the wound.

"It seems they try to buy time for whatever reason. We need to stop Kael'thas before he succeeds with whatever he wants to achieve," said Sylvanas and pulled an arrow from her quiver.

"I still can't believe that he is back. Not only did the Burning Legion steal his corpse right in front of our noses but they also found a way to bring him back," replied Alleria.

"I doubt it's the right time to figure out how the Burning Legion managed to do that. We have other things to worry about. These felblood archers and mages are a pain in the ass. We won't be able to get closer if they keep firing. We need to kill them as fast as possible."

"Do you have a plan, sis?" Alleria asked.

Sylvanas checked her surroundings quickly. "Not yet." Her gaze fell on Rhonin and Vereesa that were waiting for an opportunity to attack, just like her. "Or maybe I do have a plan but it has its risks."

"I trust you, sis."

Sylvanas gave Alleria a barely recognizable smile before she looked back at Rhonin and Vereesa, gaining their attention when she cleared her throat.

"Can you bring us behind their defensive line, Rhonin?" she asked.

Rhonin raised an eyebrow. "Behind? Are you suggesting that I should teleport us right behind their archers and mages?"

Sylvanas nodded.

"You know that they will attack us as soon as they notice our presence. We are unprotected if we do that."

"Not if Rommath and Aethas act quickly and wrap barriers around us. Many of them will already be dead by the time they notice our presence," Sylvanas replied.

"I suppose we have no other choice, right?"

"Do you have a better idea of how we break their defence?"

The red-haired man shook his head. "Not really."

Sylvanas looked back at Alleria. "Your and Lor'themar's units will stay here while mine and Vereesa's units will go behind them. That way, we can attack them from both sides. If they turn around to fight us, you can aim at their uncovered backs."

Lor'themar and Alleria nodded. "We will wait for your signal."

"There will be no signal. Just fire at them as soon as they turn around."

"Understood."

"Prepare the teleportation spell," Sylvanas said to Rhonin.

"As you wish," her brother-in-law responded.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Nathanos and Zetai. "Get ready."

"We are ready, my queen," replied Nathanos.

Sylvanas looked at Aethas and Rommath who nodded at her and began with the preparation of their spells. Her gaze fell on Rhonin who was still channelling his spell. "I'm ready," he said after a few minutes. "Come to me and I will bring us behind them."

Sylvanas didn't need to be told twice. Together with Verena, Nathanos, Zetai and eight Forsaken she moved along the stone wall, that served as their cover, and reached the archmage without getting hit by anything. Rhonin waited until everyone was there and then carried out the spell.

As planned, they appeared about ten feet behind the archers and mages that were firing at them for hours. None of those Sunfury soldiers noticed their presence before the first arrows and spells flew through the air. When they turned around, several of them were already dead and more of them died as arrows and spells hit them from the opposite side.

The Sunfury soldiers shouted something in eredun, demons and felblood elves ran towards Sylvanas and her companions. Half of them died before they reached Sylvanas' group. Sylvanas shot arrow after arrow, killing several of Kael'thas' loyalists. She even used dark magic to kill tougher demons like wrathguards.

The barrier which had been created by Aethas and Rommath dissolved after it had absorbed several spells and destroyed lots of arrows. Her group was no longer protected by magic but fortunately, most mages and archers among Kael'thas' soldiers were dead already. Sylvanas and all the other rangers took out all of the remaining ranged soldiers within a couple of minutes.

The remaining Sunfury soldiers were tougher than expected but all of them fell in the end. Without exception. Sylvanas pulled those arrows, that could be used again, out of the bodies of the foes she had slain, letting her gaze wander while doing that. Two of the Forsaken that had come with her had died but all other creatures had survived this manoeuvre. She had lost far fewer soldiers than in the first three hours.

"Your plan worked out better than I have expected," complimented Rhonin as he approached her. "I doubted that it will work out flawlessly, but once again you proved me wrong. Remind me to never doubt any of your plans again."

Sylvanas gave him a small smile. "I was Ranger-General for over a hundred years, I know a lot about battle strategies."

Alleria came to them. "I don't want to interrupt you but we should go to the next chamber. There is still a mad king we have to stop."

"You are right. We must go."

More Sunfury soldiers got in their way as they walked through the bordering corridors but they didn't hold them up for long. They were not able to stop Sylvanas and the others from walking through the corridors of the Sunwell Plateau. No one was able to prevent them from reaching the main hall.

The circular-shaped hall was huge, the colour scheme of the walls and floor was red and purple. In the room's middle was something no one had expected to be there. The elves had noticed its aura days ago but they had still doubted its existence. They had doubted it until this very moment.

Now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they no longer doubted the rumours. It was true that Kael'thas Sunstrider had found a way to restore the Sunwell he had blown up with the help of other magisters. He had done that to save his people from the corrupted energies that had been radiated by it. It had happened seven years ago after the fall of Quel'Thalas when Kael'thas had still been himself.

He might have restored the Sunwell but no member of the Alliance believed that he had done it for his people. They had no doubts that he had done it for his own selfish reasons. It was very likely that the Burning Legion had wanted him to do that. Sylvanas knew they had to stop him by any means no matter what he was planning to do.

She spotted him right in front of the Sunwell. He looked much different than the last time she had seen him. He had his arms raised in the air, his hands were glowing greenish just like the crystal in his chest. Only two of his three verdant spheres were rotating around his head. The third had been taken away from him by Jaina. She had started to examine it right before servants of the Burning Legion had appeared out of nowhere and stolen Kael'thas' corpse.

The mad king was speaking words in eredun, so were the felblood mages that stood around the Sunwell. It seemed that they were performing some kind of ritual. A ritual which had to be stopped by any means.

There were dozens of demons and felblood elves in the room whose purpose was to buy the mad king as much time as possible. They bought him time but it was not enough. The ritual was not completed when the last minion died. "Complete the ritual, I will take care of these intruders in the meantime," Kael'thas shouted to his magisters.

He stopped performing the ritual and cast another spell instead. A huge domed barrier was wrapped around the Sunwell and the magisters that were still using its power for their ritual. He stepped out of the barrier and let his gaze wander from creature to creature. Surprise, anger or determination could be seen on the faces of Sylvanas' companions. Most of them gave Kael'thas sinister looks.

"Don't look so smug! I know what you're thinking, but Tempest Keep was merely a setback. Did you honestly believe I would trust the future to some blind, half-night elf mongrel?"

He chuckled before anyone could respond to him. "Oh no, he was merely an instrument, a stepping stone to a much larger plan! It has all led to this...and this time you will not interfere!"

"We will kill you again if we have to," hissed Sylvanas. "You will not succeed."

Kael'thas looked at his daughter-in-law. "Why are you so angry, Sylvanas?"

"You know exactly why. Don't act so innocent. If it was not for you, my son wouldn't have to live with a fel crystal in his heart. We wouldn't refuse to talk or show emotions nor would Kelrian look like a demon."

"They are still alive and much stronger than before. I don't see a problem with that, to be honest. You should be grateful that I made them much stronger than they would have ever imagined."

Sylvanas' crimson eyes were narrowed and reflected pure hatred. "Arthas is not the only one who deserves a special place in hell. You are not much better than him," she hissed as she released an arrow.

If Kael'thas was hurt by her statement, he didn't show it. The arrow was fast but Kael'thas was still able to see it. The frozen shield he erected in front of him within mere seconds protected him from the arrow. It protected him from more arrows but it didn't last for long. It was destroyed eventually, leaving the mad king unprotected against the arrows and spells that were raining down upon him. He was much powerful than he had been before his death but he was not invincible. And he was alone.

He caused Sylvanas and her companions a lot of trouble, killed several Forsaken, sin'dorei and humans and endured much longer than they had expected. He never ran out of mana because he constantly drained it directly from the Sunwell. He may have access to unlimited power but his body was still vulnerable. His body was his only weakness. The more injured he got the less power he received from the Sunwell.

Eventually, he fled behind the barrier, hoping it would protect them. The barrier might protect him from arrows and spells but it didn't hinder his opponents from passing it. He expected them to kill his magisters first so that he would have time to recover and heal his wounds. But they didn't do that. He didn't need long to find out why they were not attacking his magisters.

All of his magisters had been killed before Sylvanas and her companions had passed the barrier. "NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!" Kael'thas screamed at the familiar man.

"I'm no longer your mindless slave," the man replied.

Sylvanas turned her head as soon as she heard this familiar voice. She couldn't believe her eyes at first when she caught sight of him. It was really him. She knew that he was still alive because Raesh had confirmed that he was. She knew he was not dead but she had not expected him to be there. Her heart would have beaten rapidly in her chest if she would still be alive when she regarded him from head to toe.

He looked different from the last time she had seen him. He was still taller than her but not as tall as he had been before his last transformation. His skin was no longer light greenish, but peach coloured instead. It was a little pale but still looked much healthier than his previous skin colour. He still had horns, two demonic fists and wings that were coming out of his back. His form reminded her more of a demon than a sin'dorei but at least his face looked humanoid again. He still had these weird coloured eyes but there were no tattoos on his skin. Neither in his face nor on his neck. He still looked handsome.

Kelrian was not alone. A female dreadlord stood next to him. Sylvanas only knew of one female dreadlord who was working with the Alliance, so she had no doubt that the one next to Kelrian was no other than Danara. She had never seen her in her true form before and she had to admit that she had imagined Danara differently.

Her physiques reminded her more of a humanoid creature than a dreadlord. She was not as tall and muscular as male dreadlords and her face had more similarities to the face of an elf or a human than to a dreadlord. She looked more like an elf who had consumed too much fel energy and turned into half-demon than a thoroughbred nathrezim. Nevertheless, she had no doubt that the woman she saw was indeed a nathrezim.

"YOU KILLED MY MAGISTERS! HOW DARE YOU, BASTARD! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!" Kael'thas shouted.

He cast a spell within a few seconds. It was a fireball but Kelrian neutralized the spell with a frost barrier. Kael'thas gritted his teeth angrily.

"Felomin Ashal," he shouted.

Kelrian was able to jump away at the last moment, avoiding the pillar of fire which would have burned him alive if it would have hit him. A pyroblast followed but Kelrian managed to teleport away. The pyroblast hit the opposite wall but nothing happened.

Kelrian appeared behind his father, kicking him in the back before he could notice him. A painful scream escaped the mad king's lips as one of Sylvanas' arrows hit him in the right hip. Kael'thas teleported away instantly, reappearing right behind the Sunwell.

"I have enough of this. I'll turn your world... upside...down," he pressed through gritted teeth. Kael'thas' spell lifted everyone into the air and prevented them from doing anything. Everyone except for Kelrian. He was the only one who was unaffected. He was not the only one who was surprised about that. Disbelief could be seen in his father's widened eyes.

"How is that possible? Why does my Gravity Lapse not affect you?"

Kelrian said nothing in return as he drew his sword from his belt. Kael'thas made a gesture with his hand. "Do not dare to come any closer... Otherwise, I have no other choice than to kill her."

Kelrian turned around and followed his father's gaze, catching sight of the sharp ice pillar that had been created where Sylvanas had stood before she had been lifted into the air. "If you do any wrong move, she will die."

Kelrian noticed the panic in Sylvanas' eyes. She was afraid of dying and he was afraid of losing her. He had to protect her by any means, otherwise, all his efforts would have been for nothing. Kelrian looked back at his father who had an insane look in his couldn't allow his father to impale his wife, so he had no other choice than to remain on his spot. "What do you want?"

"Put your sword on the floor," Kael'thas demanded.

Kelrian obeyed.

"Now kick it over to me."

Kelrian obeyed again.

Kael'thas' finger pointed at him. "Don't you dare to move. I just need to move one finger to skewer your wife like a pig. One wrong step and she is dead. Dead forever."

The mad king's eyes didn't leave his son as he squatted down to pick up the sword. He stood up again, holding the weapon right in front of him. "Now get over here."

Kelrian hesitated and turned his head to look at Sylvanas but his attention was brought back to Kael'thas as a loud hiss escaped his lips. "Don't you dare to look at her! Get over here! NOW!"

Kelrian walked over to his father who created a fel green dagger out of nowhere. He grabbed Kelrian's right arm and pulled him closer to the Sunwell, ramming the dagger into his forearm. Kelrian bit his bottom lip hard to prevent any painful noise from escaping his lips. His father turned his forearm and removed the dagger, letting Kelrian's blood flow into the Sunwell. Kelrian tried to pull his arm away to stop that more of his blood would land in the fount of mystical power but his father's grip was too strong. He was physically much stronger than he looked.

The colour of the Sunwell changed from golden to blood red. Kelrian could not believe that his blood was responsible for this drastic change. "Do you now see the potential of your blood, my son? I can think of many ways to use it. With your blood, I will create an army of invincible and unstoppable warriors. Not even the Dragon Aspects and the titans will be able to stop me. Your blood will guarantee a glorious future for the sin'dorei."

Kael'thas let go of Kelrian eventually. "You were a good boy, you deserve a reward." He snapped his fingers, evil laughter escaped his lips.

Kelrian noticed immediately that Kael'thas had lifted the spell on Sylvanas. Without hesitation, he rose in the air, spread his wings and shot over to Sylvanas, catching her before she would have been skewered by the sharp ice pillar. He landed next to the pillar, destroying it with his foot before he put down Sylvanas. "Are you okay?" he asked as he stared into her crimson-red eyes.

"Now that you are here, I am," she replied. She grabbed his right forearm and turned it around so that she could see the underside. Surprise was reflected by her eyes as she noticed that his wound had been healed by itself. She looked up again but Kelrian had already averted his gaze. He stared at his father who was muttering sentences in eredun. He pulled an object from his robe and threw it into the Sunwell which instantly began to bubble.

Kelrian moved without hesitation, sprinting towards his father who was continuing the spell he and his magisters had started. He jumped and spread his wings, flying towards his father. He picked him up and rose with him to the ceiling.

"What are you doing? Bring me back to the floor immediately. Do it or I kill your whore of a wife."

Kelrian did not listen to him. He wrapped his arms around him tightly, hoping that would be enough to stop him from casting. For some reason, Kelrian noticed that Kael'thas was still feasting his mana to the Sunwell, meaning the ritual was still going on. He had to stop it by every means, not wanting to find out what would happen if the ritual will be completed. There was only one way to stop him without killing him. He had to drain his mana.

Kelrian's fangs grew in size and became fel green. He rammed them into his father's neck but he made sure that he did not hit any vein or artery. He didn't want to suck his blood, he just wanted to drain his mana. Kael'thas struggled hard but Kelrian's embrace was too strong. Kelrian drained more and more of his mana, noticing that he became weaker and weaker but he was still not weak enough for Kelrian's liking. He was still struggling and repeatedly punched Kelrian in the sides with his fists. Kelrian ignored the pain and kept going until something unexpected happened.

Kelrian spat blood out, his eyes widened in shock. He removed his fangs from his father's neck and took a closer look at his father and himself, noticing that something had pierced his chest. It was the crystal that stuck in his father's chest. He had made it grow somehow and turned it into a weapon.

It came out of Kelrian's back, blood stuck on it. Kelrian was stunned by the pain. His whole body stopped moving, his wings stopped flapping. He was no longer able to hold himself in the air. His arms were still tightly wrapped around his father who was unable to get free. Together they fell steeply and landed in the blood-red Sunwell.

* * *

Kelrian expected to be in pain as he opened his eyes but he was not. He lifted his head, looking down at himself. There was no hole in his chest but that was not the only difference he noticed. He was completely naked and his body looked much different than before. He no longer looked like a demon but like a blood elf. He looked like himself before he had lost his left forearm which had been replaced by demonic flesh.

Kelrian lifted his upper body and checked his surroundings. He laid on a golden altar in the middle of a room which floor and walls were also golden. Next to him stood a blonde female human who wore a beautiful white-brown dress. She regarded him curiously, her gaze rested on his face.

"Where am I and who are you?" Kelrian asked.

The woman didn't respond to him.

"Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?"

The woman shook her head. "No, you are not dead and this is not the afterlife. It's hard to explain where exactly you are."

Kelrian gave her an irritated look.

"Let's say you are not in the mortal realm but you are not in the afterlife either. You are somewhere in between, I think. I do not know much about this place, to be honest."

"Who are you?" Kelrian asked.

"My name is Anveena Teague."

"Anveena Teague," Kelrian repeated quietly. "I never heard of you before."

"I was the avatar of the Sunwell."

"The avatar of the Sunwell?

Anveena nodded.

"The Sunwell has an avatar?" Kelrian asked highly surprised.

She nodded again.

"And what is your function?"

"That's hard to say. I suppose my function was to exist and store the power of the Sunwell until someone wants to restore it. I'm not a real living being. I was created shortly after the destruction of the Sunwell. I'm not a real person."

"I assume that my father used you to restore the Sunwell."

Anveena nodded.

"What happened to the Sunwell? Where is my father? Please answer me. I have so many questions."

Anveena gave him a small smile. "One question after the other. We have plenty of time."

"No, we don't. My father needs to be stopped."

Anveena was still smiling. "You don't have to worry about that matter. Your friends have already stopped him and his master."

"His master? How? What do you mean?"

"Your father managed to summon Kil'jaeden into the mortal world but the Alliance managed to defeat him."

"They did?" Kelrian asked surprised.

Aveena nodded. "Yes, they did."

"Is Sylvanas alright?"

"She is alive, not really alive but you know what I mean. She is alive but an emotional mess. She believes she lost you forever this time."

Kelrian's eyes widened. "I have to go to her and let her know that I'm alive."

Anveena shook her head. "Not now. We are not done here."

Kelrian's eyes narrowed a little. "Not done here? What do we have to do?"

She pointed at his nude form. "I can't bring you back to the hall of the Sunwell like this. Especially because you have no idea why you are here. Your father managed to get out of the Sunwell but you were brought to this place. I'm sure you are wondering why," the avatar said.

"Of course I am. As I said, I have so many questions in my mind."

"You can ask anything you want but I don't think I will be able to answer all of your questions."

"I have the impression that I didn't land here by accident. Was it the Sunwell that brought me to this strange place?"

"That's not unlikely."

"But why?"

Anveena hesitated for a few moments. "The only meaningful reason that comes to mind is that the Sunwell chose you."

Kelrian's eyes widened significantly. He could not believe what he had just heard. "Chose me? Are you serious?"

"I see no other reason which makes sense."

"For what did it chose me?"

"It chose you to be its avatar."

Kelrian was silent because he had no idea what he should say in response. He had no idea what to think about it. This sounded so surreal to him. He had expected many explanations but not this one. What Anveena had just told him was hard to believe.

"The Sunwell needs a protector. It was corrupted two times in seven years. The Sunwell has twice been used and corrupted by evil creatures."

"My father and Arthas," Kelrian said more to himself than to Anveena.

The avatar continued. "The Sunwell needs a powerful guardian that can protect it from all evil."

"And I should be the one? Why me?"

Anveena shrugged. "I don't know why the Sunwell chose you. Maybe because you are a determined man. You would do anything necessary to protect your family, your kingdom and your people."

"You are right about that but there are many other creatures who want to achieve the same goals as I do."

Anveena nodded. "You have a point. As I said, I have no idea why it chose you. Maybe because you fell into the Sunwell with a serious injury. Maybe it saved you because it didn't want to let you die. Maybe because you are a Sunstrider. I don't know. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that it wants you to be its first guardian. The new avatar of the Sunwell."

Kelrian was silent, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. Numerous thoughts went through his mind. It was not easy to assimilate what Anveena had just told him. There was a certain question in his mind to which he wanted to get an answer. But he doubted he would ever find out the answer to that simple question.

Why did it choose him? He was nothing but an ordinary blood elf. A mortal. He was not sure if he was worthy after everything he had done.

As Dreadfist, he had killed his own sister and would have killed everyone who was important to him if his son wouldn't have stopped him. And now his son had to live with a fel green crystal in his heart as the consequence for his father's actions. He caused so much pain to others and killed so many good-hearted creatures. There was no way the Sunwell would choose him as its guardian. Its new avatar. That sounded so surreal to him. It was hard to believe.

Kelrian was brought out of his thoughts by Anveena's voice. "Believe it or not. It's the Sunwell's will. It's your duty to fulfil the destiny it chose for you. Look at it this way. You were provided with power by the Sunwell since the day you were born. The Sunwell provided your people with power for millennia and it has never asked for anything in return. Now it asks you, the rightful heir to the throne of Quel'Thalas, to be its guardian."

"Do I have to make a decision now or do I have time to think about it?" Kelrian asked.

"You can think about it as long as you want. But be aware that time does not stop on Azeroth while you are here. The longer you stay here, the longer your wife will think you are dead. She won't stop being depressed as long as she doesn't know you are still alive," explained Anveena.

"What exactly do I have to do besides protecting the Sunwell? That can't be everything the Sunwell wants from me. I'm sure there are more tasks I have to do."

"There are but I can't tell you what exactly you have to do. I think you will find out what you have to do as soon as you become the new avatar."

Kelrian thought about her words for a few minutes. Suddenly, a determined look appeared on his face. "I will do it. I will become the Sunwell's avatar."


	63. Rebirth

He heard noises. Loud and quiet noises. Creatures were speaking, footsteps were hearable, armours were rattling. He felt a warm embrace, something surrounded his body. A liquid. He was surrounded by water but it was no ordinary water which flowed in rivers, lakes and oceans. It was holy water in which he was swimming. There was a powerful aura that surrounded him. A familiar aura.

Although he swam in holy water, he did not drown nor did the water get into his nose or mouth. He was not lacking oxygen either. He could stay there forever. He didn't feel hunger, thirst or tiredness. He felt much different than usual. Much better. He felt invincible.

The water was warm and he felt comfortable. He wished he could stay in the water forever but he knew he had to leave it. There was much which had to be done. He still didn't know what exactly he had to do nor did he know why the Sunwell chose him.

The Sunwell must have chosen him for a reason, he hoped that at least. There must be a purpose for him. Anveena had told him that he must protect the Sunwell. That seemed to be his purpose but he was sure that he would have to do more than that. He hoped that at least. He had no idea what he had to do to guarantee the Sunwell's protection. If only there would be someone who would tell him what to do and guide him. He was on his own for now.

He was worried. Worried about what the future will hold. He feared that he would not fulfil his purpose. He was afraid that he might fail and would not achieve what he was supposed to achieve. He was afraid that the burden the Sunwell imposed on him might be too much for him. That the weight on his shoulders would be too much for him.

There were also lots of other things which worried him. Illidan, the Burning Legion and the Scourge. They were still threatening his home planet. He would do anything necessary to protect Azeroth. He assumed that the Sunwell would want him to help the citizens of Azeroth to get rid of these threats. He would have to save as many lives as possible.

He heard a strange voice in his head saying his name.

He heard it again.

And again.

Kelrian opened his mouth to respond to the voice but no sounds came out. He opened his eyes, turning his head to check his surroundings. He looked for the owner of the voice but he saw no one. He was alone and surrounded by water. He lifted his head as he saw a bright light which dazzled him for a few moments. He had no idea where it came from nor did he know how it could dazzle him while he was underwater.

The heard the strange voice again. It was high-pitched and sounded peaceful and warm. It came from above, from the same direction where the bright light was coming. Kelrian began to move his arms and legs, swimming up. He swam and swam but he didn't get tired. He had the impression that time was moving much slower than usual.

He had no idea how much time had passed as the light started to become brighter. He covered his eyes with his hand but the light still shone through it and dazzled him. Even though he couldn't see much, he still did not close his eyes. The light just dazzled him a little. He could direct his gaze to the mysterious light source and his eyes didn't get hurt in the process.

The light source extended suddenly and fully dazzled him. His eyes closed automatically even though he had not wanted to close them. His body had acted on its own. Even though he had his eyes closed,he still noticed after a while that the blinding light had disappeared. That was not the only change he recognized within a short amount of time. The voices he had heard earlier were much louder and clearer than before. This time, he was able to recognize actual words and not just drowned out noises. Creatures were talking. The way they talked told him that they were surprised and excited about something.

The warmth which had surrounded him had disappeared, nevertheless, he didn't feel cold or uncomfortable. He felt quite comfortable and relaxed.

 _Open your eyes._ The voice in his head said.

He didn't know why he was hearing this voice nor did he know who was speaking to him. If someone was speaking to him. It was also possible that he was just imagining this voice. Nevertheless, he listened to that voice and did as he was told. The first thing he caught sight of was a young sin'dorei priestess that was sitting near the Sunwell. Her eyes were widened, her mouth was wide open. The book she had held had fallen out of her hands and laid on the floor.

Kelrian's gaze rested on her for a few moments before he looked away and checked his surroundings. He was in the main hall of the Sunwell Plateau in which several sin'dorei were gathered. Several Silvermoon guards, blood knights, mages but also normal citizens were looking at him in a similar way to the young priestess. They were astounded by his sudden appearance. He saw similar faces but there were also lots of faces he didn't know.

Kelrian's gaze shifted again, his eyes widened a little as he regarded himself. He wore a pure golden armour but that was not the only thing that surprised him. He was standing in the middle of the Sunwell. In the middle of this mysterious fount of energy and the water reached to his hips. He knew that the Sunwell used to be a lot deeper, so he wondered how he was able to stand on even ground. He was not a giant, he was just a little taller than the average male blood elf.

He stood there for a few moments before he decided to walk out of the Sunwell. He stepped on the dry floor, noticing that no drops of water were dripping from his body. His armour was as dry as his hair.

 _How is that possible?_ he asked himself.

But he didn't get an answer to his question. The mysterious voice didn't speak to him at this moment.

Kelrian let his gaze wander once again, noticing that some of the sin'dorei had gotten closer to him. They had formed a half-circle around him but they still kept a distance to him. Their green eyes didn't leave him while they were talking quietly. Kelrian didn't move for a while, allowing them to continue staring at him. None of them spoke to him or tried to get his attention. No one dared to say a word to him.

_There is no need for you to stay._

Kelrian didn't hesitate to make the first step, setting one foot in front of the other until they reached the half-circle. The blood elves stepped away and allowed him to leave, their gazes followed him to the hall's exit. He stopped as soon as he left the hall. Something felt different. The warm feeling in his chest had vanished. He frowned and stepped back in the hall, noticing that the feeling returned. He felt much better inside the hall than outside. He assumed that the Sunwell was responsible for that. The nearer he was to the Sunwell, the better he felt.

Kelrian left the hall again and made a few steps, noticing that he didn't feel bad. No matter how many steps he took away from the Sunwell he didn't feel bad. He felt normal. His heart was beating at a normal pace, nothing hurt. Neither his head nor any other part of his body. Everything was normal. He just didn't feel as if he could crush mountains with his bare fists. He was not overloaded with power as he had been while he had stood near the Sunwell. He didn't feel invincible but not powerless either. He had no doubt he was strong but he didn't know how strong he was. He had no idea how powerful the Sunwell made him. Hopefully powerful enough to deal with stronger foes.

Kelrian went up the spiral path and came to the next higher level. The guards that stood along the bordering corridors or were patrolling through them were giving him the same surprised looks as the sin'dorei in the hall. Kelrian didn't say anything to them nor did he do anything except for walking. He was greeted by fresh air and the pleasant warmth of the Sun as he left the Sunwell Plateau eventually. He heard the twittering of birds that flew through the air or were sitting on tree branches or in treetops.

He noticed a familiar face not far away from him. He hadn't met her often but he still recognized her. He nodded at her, encouraging her to come closer. She did. "Kelrian? Is it...? Is that really you? I thought you died that day when... When your father summoned Kil'jaeden into our world."

Kelrian regarded the woman from head to toe. She had long blonde hair, light green eyes and her facial features showed some similarities to his. They were related but only distantly. Kelrian had no idea if she was a fourth-degree or fifth-degree relative to him but he knew for sure that the same blood ran through their veins. She was a Sunstrider just like him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again after such a long time, Lyandra." He regarded her from head to toe again, taking a closer look at the red robe she wore. His gaze fell on a certain object that hung on her belt. A familiar runeblade. "Where did you get this?" he asked and pointed at the sword.

Lyandra looked down at herself even though she knew what he meant. "Sylvanas gave it to me after the Alliance defeated your father in Tempest Keep."

"I was already wondering why he didn't have it with him when he and his minions invaded the Sunwell Plateau. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if he would have used it back then. He might have succeeded. He almost did, from what I heard," Kelrian responded.

"I was there when he summoned Kil'jaeden. It was a tough fight, many of us died but we won in the end. I doubt I would have survived that day without Felo'melorn. It's much stronger than my parents told me. It's much stronger than I would have ever imagined."

"My father defiled the sword by killing too many innocents. At least Felo'melorn is in the right hands now."

"You can have it if you want. You are the rightful heir of this legendary sword," replied Lyandra.

Kelrian's mind told him that he should not take Felo'melorn. He had a feeling. A feeling which told him to allow Lyandra to keep the sword. He listened to that feeling and shook his head. "You can keep it."

The female mage raised an eyebrow, surprise was reflected by her eyes. "Are you sure? What about your son? Doesn't he want to have it?"

Kelrian thought about it for a moment. "I cannot speak for him. I suggest you should ask him the next time you see him. I have no idea how he is behaving these days. He did not speak to me the last time I saw him. Did you meet him?"

Lyandra shook her head. "No. I didn't meet him since you went to Tempest Keep with these dreadlords."

"I should meet him as soon as I can."

"You should go to your wife first. She didn't take your presumed death very well."

Kelrian nodded. "You are right."

"I don't want to hold you up any longer. Go to your wife. We can speak another time."

"It was good to see you again, Lyandra. You haven't changed much since the last time I saw you."

"You, on the other hand, changed considerably. What happened? How did you survive and where have you been the past week?"

"I will tell you everything as soon as I feel ready. There is a lot I have not found out yet. I need to understand everything first and then I can tell you what exactly happened and what I am now."

A questionable look could be seen on Lyandra's face but she gave him an understanding nod nonetheless. "Take your time. I'm glad you are back."

Kelrian put a hand on Lyandra's shoulder and patted it. "See you soon, Lyandra.

"See you soon, Kelrian."

* * *

Gone. He was gone. Gone forever this time. Sylvanas still didn't want to believe it. But she had seen it with her own eyes, so she could not deny what had happened. She had seen him falling into the corrupted Sunwell. She had seen Kil'jaeden emerge from the Sunwell. If Kelrian had not died when Kil'jaeden had been summoned and attacked the Alliance, he would have been killed by the explosion of Kil'jaeden's body. There was no way he was still alive.

The first two times Kelrian had been assumed to be dead, she had not believed it. She still had hoped that he would still be alive and return to her one day. She had never lost hope and he had returned to her in the end. But it was different this time. This time she was certain that he was dead. There was no way he had survived the explosion.

If he would have survived the serious injury his father had inflicted to him, the summoning of Kil'jaeden and the explosion, he would have eventually come out of the Sunwell at least after a while. But he didn't show up. Not even a week later. No one had seen him ever since. None one had noticed his aura or spotted any hint that he might still be alive. He was presumed to be dead for the third time.

Sylvanas could not imagine a life without him. She missed him so much. She wanted him back. She would do anything to get him back. There was almost nothing she would not do to get him back. Joining the Burning Legion or the Scourge were one of the few things she would never do. There was no way she would ever join one of these evil formations. She was neither that desperate nor had she lost her mind. She still knew what was right and what was wrong. Joining the Legion or the Scourge was the worst thing she could do.

She didn't want to live without him. He had been her everything. Her world. Her light at the end of a very dark tunnel. His mere presence had comforted her and given her the strength to move on. She didn't want to imagine what she would have done without him. Seeing him again had motived her to keep going and hold out under any circumstances. She had gone through hell to see him again. She had gone through hell when he had disappeared for five years. These five years had been the worst time of her life. If her sisters and her son would have not been there, grief would have broken her. She had no doubt that she would have not recovered and survived these hard years without her family.

This time, she doubted her family will be enough to keep her sane. This time, Kelrian was dead for sure. This time, the grief will break her. She was sure of that. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take more bad things. Too many bad things had happened. Her death, the deaths of her mother, her daughter, lots of her friends and family members, thousands of rangers that had served her and too many innocent citizens of Quel'Thalas. She was suffering since her death and she had the impression it had gotten worse and worse over the years.

Whenever she had thought she was happy, something bad had happened. Arthas had invaded Quel'Thalas a few weeks after she and Kelrian had decided to have another baby. She had not seen Kelrian for years and then he had disappeared after Illidan's and Kael'thas' attempt to stop Arthas and destroy the Lich King had failed. He had reappeared again and they had gotten together again but then he had been captured by his own father and turned into a monstrosity. He came back once again to stop his father but he lost his life in the process.

Sylvanas had the impression that life didn't want her to be happy. She had the impression that it was her destiny to end up alone and unhappy. There was no way it was not like that. Otherwise, all the bad things wouldn't have happened to her. Fate was cruel. Her life sucked without Kelrian. All she had left was her thirst for vengeance which had gotten much stronger since the day of Kelrian's death. She did not only want to avenge her dead lover by making those who were responsible for his deformation and the summoning of Kil'jaeden pay, but also Arthas who was the reason why their lives drifted away. If it would have not been for him, she and Kelrian would live with their family in Silvermoon and have a happy life. The Scourge and the Burning Legion were responsible for everything bad that happened in her life. She had sworn to make them pay for everything.

Sylvanas sat on her throne but she didn't move at all. She just stared at a certain spot on the left wall of the throne room, her fists were clenched. She had not moved for days. She had not spoken to anyone, not even to her family. Except for her son, all members of her family had tried to speak to her and comfort her. They had told her how sorry they were but she had ignored them. She had not responded to them or reacted to them in a different way. She had pretended that they were not there. They still came to her every day to check if she was still sitting on the throne, usually, they disappeared shortly after.

Sylvanas' uncle and Alleria stood not far away from her, worry was reflected by their faces. That was nothing new. Alleria looked worried every day she came to Undercity to look after her sister. Even though Alleria knew that she didn't achieve anything by visiting Sylvanas, she still did it.

Sylvanas had been there to comfort her when she had found out that Turalyon had been turned into a death knight. Sylvanas had comforted her and Alleria wanted to return the favour and be there for hoped that Sylvanas was aware of her presence and that it would comfort her a little at least. She hoped her presence was enough to make Sylvanas realize that she was not alone. She would never be alone, no matter what might happen. She hoped that Sylvanas had realized that.

Alleria regarded her little sister much longer but then decided to leave Undercity and return to Quel'Thalas. Lots of duties were waiting for her. There was much she had to do since Kael'thas' defeat. The mad king was not dead but imprisoned in the Violet Hold in Dalaran. Lots of soldiers had fallen and lots of buildings had been damaged and destroyed when Kael'thas had invaded Quel'Danas and Silvermoon with his forces.

These structures had to be rebuilt and the families of the fallen soldiers had to be compensated for their loses. They had to be taken care of just like the soldiers that had been badly wounded. It was her duty as the ruler of Quel'Thalas to ensure that all citizens were taken care of and provided with everything they needed. She had to do a lot to achieve that goal. There was much which needed to be done. Much she had to organise.

Alleria turned around and began to walk towards the throne room's exit as she spotted a creature. At first, she thought she had never seen the man before but after a few seconds, she recognized who he was. That handsome face was unmistakeable. It was a unique face Alleria knew every well.

Alleria's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parted but no words escaped her mouth. She was stunned and could only watch the man coming closer. Sylvanas noticed a powerful aura but she did not turn around to find out who the aura's owner was. Her gaze still rested on the same wall. Unlike her sister, she didn't know who had just entered the room and she didn't want to know it.

Someone cleared their throat but Sylvanas didn't move at all. She continued to stare at the wall, not caring what was happening around her. Besides her vengeance, she didn't care about anything, so she didn't care who was trying to get her attention. She had no intention to waste her time with that creature.

Only when Sylvanas heard a familiar voice say her name, she stopped thinking about all the terrible things that happened since Arthas' invasion. She turned her head, assuming that she had heard wrong. At first, she had thought she was hallucinating and that she had just imagined his voice in her head. When she caught sight of the man, she realized that her assumptions were wrong. He was not a hallucination. He was real.

If he would be a hallucination, Alleria, Zelastor, Nathanos and all the other Forsaken in the throne room would not stare at him in surprise. Everyone was as surprised about his appearance than Sylvanas was. She had not expected him to be alive. She had thought he had died in the battle against Kael'thas and his demonic master. She had thought she would never see him again. She had thought she would have to live without him from now on.

But there he was. Healthy, alive and good looking. Kelrian looked much different. His hair was golden just like his gorgeous eyes. There was a gentle look in them as he looked at her. He was smaller than the last time she had seen him but still slightly taller than he had been before he had made a pact with Exadius and drank his blood. His skin had a natural colour. The colour of peaches.

The longer Sylvanas stared at him the more she got convinced that he was real. Nevertheless, she decided to find out first hand if he was indeed real. She got up from her cold throne and walked over to him, putting a hand on his cheek. His skin was much warmer than she remembered and very smooth. The smile he gave her would have made her heart beat very fast if she would have still been alive. For a short moment, she had thought it would start beating again. Unfortunately, it hadn't. It was dead like the rest of her body but at least Kelrian was not dead. He was very much alive.

Sylvanas parted her lips to say something but she quickly noticed that she was at a loss of words. She was overwhelmed by emotions but she didn't cry. Her eyes didn't get watery even though she had the impression that she would burst into tears at any moment. Tears of joy. She didn't even care what the others would think about her if she would start crying. Nevertheless, she didn't cry. Not even tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

She was happy. So happy that she didn't care about those around her when she threw her arms around her husband and put her head on his chest. His golden armour was as warm as his skin but not as soft as it. Nevertheless, she felt comfortable while leaning against him. She said nothing nor did Kelrian or anyone else. Sylvanas had her eyes closed as she snuggled up to Kelrian, not caring that her subjects were seeing her.

A hand was put on her back. She had expected to feel metal but instead, she felt soft flesh. Kelrian's uncovered left hand caressed her back, his other hand pulled down her hood. He ran his soft fingers through her hair, messaging her scalp and the back of her head before he toyed with her ears which twitched under his touch.

Her skin tingled in excitement as she felt his soft lips on her forehead. The warmth that was radiated by his body was really pleasant. She didn't want their tight embrace to stop. She wanted to lean against him and be held by him for all eternity but she knew that was not possible because there were still lots of things they had to do. There were still enough threats the Alliance had to take care of.

Sylvanas enjoyed their warm and tight embrace for a few more minutes before she opened her eyes and signalized him to let her go. Kelrian pulled away and allowed her to take a few steps backwards. Even though her gaze didn't leave him, she still noticed that they were no longer in the throne room. They were in Sylvanas' private chamber. She hadn't noticed until this moment that Kelrian had teleported them there.

He was still smiling at her, joy was reflected by his eyes. He put his left hand under her chin and caressed it. "You should smile more often, my love."

Sylvanas' lips formed a bright smile. Several questions poured out of her mouth. "You are really alive. I cannot believe it. How... How did you survive? What happened? Why do you look so different? Where have you been?"

"Not so fast, Sylvanas. I cannot answer all of your questions at the same time."

Sylvanas gave him an understanding nod. "Alright. Tell me what happened."

"Well, I don't know why things happened the way they happened but it seems it was the Sunwell that saved me. But it did not only heal my wounds, changed my appearance and made me stronger. It chose me to become its champion. Its avatar."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Avatar? You mean like Anveena Teague?"

Kelrian nodded. "I was in a strange place between life and death and saw her. I spoke to her and she answered some of my questions. At least she told me her assumptions. It was a different creature who confirmed her assumptions later. But I will talk about this creature later. I was chosen by the Sunwell to be its protector. It wants me to prevent anyone from corrupting it again. But not only that. I should also help the Alliance to get rid of those who want to destroy our world and kill its inhabitants."

Sylvanas nodded silently, not knowing what to say.

"I don't know why the Sunwell chose me. Not even the voice I hear since I left the Sunwell was able to answer that. It thinks that it has something to do with the fact that I'm a Sunstrider. It was my ancestor Dath'Remar Sunstrider who created the Sunwell. That could be one of the many reasons."

"I think it doesn't really matter why it chose you, for me at least. I'm just glad that it saved you. I don't want to imagine a world without you."

Kelrian lifted her chin as he noticed the small amount of sadness in her eyes. He didn't hesitate to do what he had wanted to the moment he had spotted her on the throne. He leaned in and pressed his lips on hers. Even though Sylvanas had seen it coming, she was still taken by surprise and stunned for a few moments. But finally, she returned his kiss and even parted her lips to allow his tongue to enter her mouth. Hers entered his mouth eventually, exploring every reachable corner.

Several months had passed since the last time she had kissed him. The kiss was much more passionate than any other kisses they had ever shared. She had missed this. She had missed kissing him. Missed the way he made her feel. She had missed him so much and she was more than just glad that she had him back.

Even though she had hoped that the kiss would never end, it ended eventually. It had been so good that it would have taken her breath away if she still had to breathe.

Kelrian was the only one who was breathless. Breathless and more than just happy to have the love of his life back. It made him happy to see her happy. He took her hand and guided her over to the made bed, sitting down. He pulled her onto his lap and put his hands on her hips, caressing them softly.

Sylvanas smiled at him and pecked on his lips. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, noticing that it was pleasantly warm. Her gaze rested on his handsome face for a few moments before it wandered. Her eyes widened as she noticed that his outfit had changed. He no longer wore the shining golden armour. Instead, he wore a robe which looked like a mage robe but had the colours of a priest robe. It was made out of golden silk.

"How did you...?"

Kelrian smiled. "Magic."

Sylvanas nodded. "Of course."

"I thought a robe would be more comfortable for you than a firm and heavy armour. Snuggling against a firm armour doesn't sound very comfortable to me."

"You are right," Sylvanas replied. She felt the robe's soft silk against her skin as she put a hand on his muscular chest.

Kelrian kissed her temple. "I assume you have more questions, honey."

"You are right but I don't want to bother you now."

Kelrian smirked. "You are not bothering me. Ask me anything you want."

"You told me about a voice you are hearing."

Kelrian nodded. "I did. I'm hearing it since my rebirth. Since I came out of the Sunwell. Apparently, M'uru is speaking to me."

Sylvanas frowned as she heard that name. "But we destroyed M'uru. How is it possible that you are still hearing the naaru even though we destroyed it?"

"I asked M'uru the same question but it didn't give me an answer. I assume it has something to do with the fact that the spark of M'uru was used to reignite the Sunwell. It seems that M'uru continues to exist and its fate is tied to the Sunwell."

"How can you be sure that it's actual M'uru that is speaking to you and not something else? Has the voice proved that it is indeed M'uru?" "

"Well, I have no real proof that it is indeed M'uru but... I'm very certain it's M'uru that is speaking to me in my head. I don't see a reason why it would lie to me. The Sunwell brought me back, it saved me and it's M'uru's task to guide me and set me on the right path. I have no idea what I would do without her advices. I would be lost, I wouldn't know what to do and what my purpose is. The naaru just wants to help me."

"I still can't believe that the Sunwell chose you. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it did but its hard to believe. This sounds so surreal."

Kelrian nodded. "I agree with you. From time to time, I can't even believe it myself. I would have never imagined that this would be possible. The Sunwell never had a guardian before, probably because our people had never been seriously threatened by anyone. Our people had always protected the Sunwell from all threats. But then Arthas came and corrupted the Sunwell. It was later corrupted again by my father.

I understand that the Sunwell needs a guardian. We cannot allow it to get corrupted again. The unholy rebirth of Kel'Thuzad led to the first corruption and the summoning of Kil'jaeden led to the second. I don't want to imagine what horrible things could happen next time. Anyway, I'm glad it chose me and saved my life. I will do anything in my power to protect the Sunwell because of the gift it made to me. It gifted me a second life, a second chance I will use to achieve that what I didn't achieve before. I will keep fighting and trying as long as the Burning Legion and the Scourge are still active. I will do everything in my power to stop them."

"So will I," responded Sylvanas and ran her fingers over his neck.

Kelrian smiled at her but said nothing in return. Sylvanas smiled too as she stared into his golden orbs. "What will you do next?" she asked after a while.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm waiting for M'uru to tell me what the Sunwell wants me to do but it has remained silent since I arrived in Tirisfal Glades. Until I get further instructions, I will do what seems right to me."

"And what would that be?"

"I will help the Alliance to stop Illidan. I'm sure he already has taken control over most of my father's territories on Outland."

"He did that. We have not been able to stop him from doing that but he didn't do anything else since. He doesn't attack our soldiers unless they step on his territory. He is passive. Too passive for my liking. I have no doubt he is planning something. Whatever it is, it will be nothing good."

Kelrian nodded in agreement. "We must stop him before he becomes too powerful."

"It won't be easy. Many creatures will die. I wonder how many soldiers we will have left to fight the Scourge once we defeated Illidan and saved Outland. Probably too few."

"Dark times lie ahead. The future looks grim but I have no doubt that we will get through this. We will get through these dark times and make Arthas pay for his crimes. One day, we will kill him. We will succeed in the end. All we have to do is stay together," he said and cupped Sylvanas' cheeks with his hands, bringing her face closer to his. The kiss they shared lasted long and was very passionate. Like most good things, it ended eventually.

"I love you," Sylvanas whispered.

"I love you too," Kelrian whispered in return.


	64. Predestination

"How is he doing?" Kelrian asked the warder as he regarded them man inside the cell. The man whose face was horribly disfigured sat on the bed in the middle of the cell and did nothing except for staring at Kelrian. His green eyes reflected hatred, his grey prisoner clothes were clean and his hair was messy and greasy.

"Well," the warder started, pausing for a few moments to think about what she should answer. "He became much quieter in the past weeks. In the first weeks after we put them in this cell, he screamed and shouted insults at us. We had no other choice than to put a spell on the cell so that we wouldn't have to hear the horrible noises he produces. I'm still asking myself how a humanoid creature could produce such sounds. It was horrible to listen. Eventually, he stopped screaming and insulting us. I assume he noticed that we can't hear him. Or he just feels too weak to scream. You must know that he refuses to eat."

"Really?"

The warder nodded. "He hasn't eaten for weeks but he didn't become thinner nor does he appear weak to us. I have the suspicion that he no longer needs to consume food. I bet it has something to do with the fel crystal in his chest. Maybe the fel energy satisfies his hunger somehow."

"My father died and was brought back to life. Just like Sylvanas. Sylvanas doesn't need to eat either."

"But he is not undead," replied the warder. "His heart is still beating. It may beat very slowly but it still beats. He is still alive, more or less."

"Maybe we will find out one day how exactly his body and this crystal are functioning," replied Kelrian and turned away from his father. He looked at the warder, a female draenei who wore the same armour as all the other guards in Dalaran. The tabard she wore was purple and showed the symbol of the Kirin Tor. An eye from which three pointed rays emanated. She was the first draenei Kelrian met in Dalaran since her people joined the Alliance after his father's first defeat.

Her name was Yuri. She wore her brown hair shoulder-length, her skin was light purple and her eyes were bright blue. The eyes of his people had been of a similar colourbefore the fel affected them.

"Maybe. But I doubt it. There are many things in the universe which we cannot understand. I will never understand how necromancy works and how this green crystal keeps your father alive," Yuri responded.

"Maybe I will find it out one day. There are other things I have to worry about at the moment. My father's forces might have been defeated but Outland is still not free. Illidan Stormrage will do anything necessary to gain control of it. I'm wondering why he wants it so badly. What does he want to achieve? Is he still working for Kil'jaeden? There are so many questions to which I have no answers."

"I have no doubts that the Alliance will stop Illidan one day."

"I don't doubt it either but the question is: How many people will lose their lives in the process? How many people have to die until we manage to stop Illidan?"

"The answer is written in the stars, I suppose," Yuri replied quietly.

Kelrian nodded, not saying anything in return.

"I will inform you as soon as your father's condition changes," said the draenei.

Kelrian gave her a thankful nod. "It was nice to meet you, Yuri."

"You too, avatar."

Kelrian chuckled amused. "Avatar? Seems that everyone knows about the reason why I'm still alive. How do you know that?"

"The naaru Z'eru told me that the Sunwell chose you as its protector. It also told me that the naaru M'uru became one with the Sunwell and now speaks to you."

"How does this naaru know about it?" Kelrian asked surprised.

Yuri shrugged. "I have no idea. As you might know, my people have a close connection to the naaru. They helped us to escape the Burning Legion several times. Due to them, those who didn't join the Burning Legion managed to flee from Argus, our home planet. If it would have not been for them, all of us would be dead or serve the Legion. I went to Shattrath City to see my girlfriend who is working near the place where Z'eru and A'dal usually stay. We were in the temple when Z'eru told my people about the Sunwell, the purest fount of energy and about the birth of a champion."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "The birth of a champion?" His voice reflected a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"She told us that you will accomplish great things and change things for the better," explained Yuri.

"I know that naaru are wise ancient beings but... I don't think I can do such things. I might be powerful but I doubt that my actions will change anything."

"The naaru are usually right about everything they say. They are rarely wrong."

"I think I should meet that naaru. Where can I find it?"

"In a temple in the middle of Shattrath City. The temple is called Terrace of Light."

Kelrian nodded. "Thanks for telling me about it. Maybe this Z'eru will help me understand everything about me as the avatar of the Sunwell. Maybe it will guide me and tell me what to do. M'uru didn't tell me much until this day. At least nothing which helps me understand... everything."

"You should search for Z'eru then and talk to it," replied the warder.

"I will. Thank you. Have a nice day, Yuri."

"You too, avatar."

Kelrian smiled. "Please call me Kelrian. Avatar sounds so... strange."

"As you wish."

* * *

Kelrian's gaze wandered over the various buildings around him. They were of draenei structure and made of marble and adorned by purple symbols. Most windows were made of purple glass but they were still transparent so that Kelrian could see what was going on in in the houses without curtains. He saw families, couples and even creatures that seem to live alone. Members of all races of the Alliance could be seen in the city but not only they visited the city. Shattrath City was neutral ground so even members of the Horde were there.

It had been a long time since Kelrian had encountered an orc. The last orcs he had met had been servants of the Burning Legion and he had been forced to kill them. They had been so aggressive and angry. These orcs, on the other hand, looked peaceful. They didn't want to start any argument nor did they wanted to fight and kill someone. They were the exact opposite of the orcs he had fought against during the Second War and some years later.

Nevertheless, Kelrian was not pleased by their presence. There was nothing he could do about it, so he had no other choice than tolerating them as long as they were on neutral territory. He knew it was best to keep an eye on them.

The orcish race was not the only race of the Horde which had members in Shattrath City. There were trolls and tauren that looked like giant cows on two legs. Kelrian recognized forest trolls but also Darkspear trolls that had blue or purple skin instead of green skin like the forest trolls. Some looked at him with narrowed eyes but most of them ignored him and minded their own business.

Kelrian followed the path in front of him and came to the market square where people of all races were trading. Goblins and gnomes tried to sell their machines and inventions, proclaiming that their goods were better than those of the other race. There were several draenei traders but most traders were foreigners. They came to this place from the most diverse places in Azeroth to sell their products. There was no shortage of goods onthe market. From hairbrushes, over gems to more or less functioning robots and machines, customers could buy basically everything there. There was not much which could not be bought.

The offer was huge and there were lots of interesting things on the different market stalls but Kelrian had not come to Shattrath City to trade. He had travelled to this place to meet the naaru Yuri had spoken of.

Z'eru.

The guards at the gates had told him that it was in the temple in the middle of the city. At this moment, Kelrian was in the south and he had to walk a little longer to reach it. He crossed many draenei and even some Scryers, a faction of blood elves that had once served his father but had broken away from him when he had ordered them to attack Shattrath and kill as many inhabitants as possible. They were led by a man named Voren'thal the Seer. Even though Voren'thal was a blood elf, Kelrian had never seen him before nor had he heard of him before the Third War. He was looking forward to getting known to him if he would ever meet him.

Kelrian followed the streets, ignoring some of the grim glances he received from members of the Horde. Earning such glances was nothing new to him. He had earned such glances very often when he had fought the Orcish Horde in the Second War. Kelrian finally came to the temple, noticing that it was much larger than he had expected. It had looked smaller from the far.

The Terrace of Light.

It was a magnificent domed building that was heavily guarded. It had a brown colour scheme, the walls were pretty thick and firm. It had similarities to a huge fortress. Kelrian had no doubt that it had a security system just like Tempest Keep. He assumed that lots of guards were patrolling through the various rooms and corridors. Occupying the building wouldn't be easy.

Kelrian walked towards the entrance which was guarded by several draenei warriors and paladins. He didn't even have to speak to the leader to enter the building. The leader had signalized him that he was allowed to enter as soon as he had seen him. Kelrian could only assume that the naaru had told them to let him pass. He was the only outsider who didn't have to speak to the leader or show him a letter or any other document to him to enter the temple. He had needed to do nothing but to show up to enter the temple.

The walls of the entrance halls were grey-brown like the floor that was made out of huge cobblestones. Draenei guards and priests were scattered all over the room, watched their surroundings or minded their own business. Kelrian didn't hesitate to walk through the bordering corridor, arriving in a much larger room. The colour scheme of the new room was similar to the one of the previous room, the floor and walls were also made out of the same materials.

Kelrian spotted many draenei and blood elves. Most of them stood around a creature that was floating above the floor in the middle of the room. It was made up of shards of fractured light, some of them were rotating around the creature's core. The creature's head consisted of several fragments of different sizes and forms that were arranged in a specific light that was radiated by the shards was very bright but it didn't dazzle Kelrian.

Looking at the ancient being was not unpleasant and for some reason it made him feel much more comfortable. He felt a lot calmer than before. He was aware of the creature's powerful and warm aura. The voice in his head told him that he could trust this creature. Apart from M'uru's voice, he also had the feeling that he could trust it. He didn't know why he had this feeling but he was convinced that this feeling was right. It felt right at least.

Kelrian approached the naaru, bowing in front of it without hesitation. Even though the naaru had no eyes, Kelrian still felt the creature's gaze on him. Due to magic, it was able to regard him curiously.

"The chosen one has arrived," said a warm and gentle high-pitched voice. The voice came from everywhere but Kelrian had no doubt that it was the naaru that was speaking to him.

"You must be Z'eru. I saw you in a vision."

"I am. I also saw you in a vision, in many visions to be exact."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The naaru couldn't move its head but Kelrian still had the impression that it had just nodded at him. "I saw visions of the great and glorious future that awaits you and your people. You are the one who will save your people. You will protect them from all evil."

Kelrian was silent for a few moments. "It's still hard for me to believe that I'm someone's chosen one. I'm just an ordinary blood elf. Basically, anyone could be in my place and be the Chosen One."

The naaru could not chuckle or show its amusement because it had no facial feature, nevertheless, Kelrian somehow knew that it was amused. "Not everyone is as powerful and wise as you, Kelrian. You have gone through a lot, you have survived many scenarios where any other creature would have died. Due to your talent, you escaped death several times. You are not just an ordinary sin'dorei. You are special. The Sunwell chose you for a reason," Z'eru replied.

"If I would be the Chosen One, why do I not feel worthy? Why do I have the feeling that I was chosen by accident? Why am I afraid that I will not meet the expectations of others? Why do I fear that I might disappoint the Sunwell and all of those who believe in me? Why do I have so many doubts?"

"It is normal to feel like that. The previous Chosen have not felt any different. They had their doubts at first but with time, their doubts became weaker and weaker and vanished in the end. All you have to do is to put trust in yourself and listen to intelligent beings like us naaru. We are much older than you and know much more than you. Trust our words."

Kelrian thought about Z'eru's words. "The previous Chosen? I thought I am the first chosen of the Sunwell."

"You are."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, confusion was reflected by his face. He parted his lips to say something but the naaru was faster than him. "You are the first Chosen of the Sunwell but you are not the first Chosen of the light. The other naaru and I are certain that you are the one who will guide the inhabitants of Azeroth through this age of darkness. You will bring an end to the Scourge and the Burning Legion. It won't be an easy task. Despite your power, the upcoming wars will be bloody. Many will lose their lives in battle but we are certain that the mortal creatures of Azeroth will be victorious in the end."

"I'm not that powerful. I'm not powerful enough to make such a huge difference," replied Kelrian. "I'm not as strong as you think I am."

"You are right about that but we can change that. You might not be strong enough now but you will be, eventually. We have to subject you to very special training. You need to pass a test before we can send you back to Azeroth."

"How long does this training take? Weeks? Months? Years?" Kelrian asked.

"It takes as long as it takes."

Kelrian nodded understandingly. "I see." He turned his head, noticing that he was alone with Z'eru. He looked back at the naaru that was still watching him. "Where are the others?"

"They are still in the room. Only we are in a different location. I thought you would want to have some privacy at least."

"I don't really need privacy. I need answers. I still do not understand why I have been chosen."

"There are always things we cannot understand. If you would see what I have seen and if you would know what I know, you would understand why you are the one."

Kelrian was silent, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. "That doesn't really help me to understand."

"You will understand eventually. For now, all I ask of you is to accept what I told you. That's all I want you to do."

Kelrian nodded hesitantly. "Alright."

"Do you trust me?" Z'eru asked.

"I do," Kelrian responded without hesitation.

"Good. Follow our instructions and we will make sure you can fulfil your destiny."

Kelrian bowed to Z'eru. "I will do as you say."

* * *

Kelrian took a deep breath, inhaling as much air as possible before he dived back into the water. The light radiated by his golden glowing eyes was enough to illuminate his surroundings. He was able to recognize his surroundings in a certain radius, allowing him to look for the requested object.

Kelrian swam from one piece of wreckage to another, searching it for the object. It was not there. Kelrian didn't lose patience and swam to the next piece. He found nothing there so he swam back to the surface and came up, taking deep breaths. He dived down again, avoiding a small swarm of fishes when he swam towards the underwater cave, he had discovered half an hour ago. As expected, it was inhabited.

There was a huge sea snake with green scales and sharp teeth. It looked very dangerous and deadly but Kelrian was not scared. The snake's size did not scare him nor did its huge jaw. The monster's red eyes rested on him, watching his every move. Kelrian didn't intend to do the first move. He watched the sea creature closely, waiting for it to attack.

It shot forward, its jaw was wide open. If they would be above the surface, Kelrian would have easily dodged this attack by jumping to the side. But he was underwater so he could not do that. He had to avoid the attack in a different way. He swam as fast as he could but he was not fast enough. He was aware that he couldn't avoid it that way, so he did something different to guarantee that he would not get devoured by the sea snake. He created a small shock wave near him which explosion pushed him away, making him avoid the snake's teeth at the last moment.

The snake turned around, its eyes fell back on Kelrian. He let the monster come again, this time he pushed himself above the snake's head, ramming his sword between its eyes as it shot through beneath him. Kelrian sent an arcane blast after it in case it was still alive. It was not. Kelrian's sword stuck in its head, the brain was destroyed and lots of dark-red blood flowed into the blue water. Kelrian swam back to the surface, took a few deep breaths and then swam back to the monster.

He began to examine it and swam along its whole body which was over forty feet long. The crystal in the middle of the amulet around his neck began to glow when he reached the middle of the sea snake's body. Kelrian knew what this meant. The object he was looking for was in the sea snake's stomach.

Kelrian focused his power and created six clones of him. With the help of those clones and some spells, he managed to bring the sea snake's corpse to the surface. They pulled it out of the water and laid it on the yellow sand.

Kelrian rammed the sword in the sea snake's belly and slit it open, not caring that his hands became bloody as he searched the snake's stomach for the object. He found it eventually, pulling it out without hesitation. It was a crystal but no ordinary one. The crystal had a high value to the inhabitants of the village.

Kelrian was proud of himself. Not only had he found the object he had requested to search but he had also brought down a dangerous predator that lived in the waters near the village he was currently staying. He was sure that the snake's flesh would fill the stomachs of the inhabitants for several days.

Kelrian washed the crystal and then put it in the pouch that hung on his belt. He walked back to the dead predator, cutting out pieces of meat. He put them in several wooden chests which his clones put on a conjured wooden cart. He burned the remains of the sea snake which he could not use for anything and then let his clones disappear. He could have used them to bring the cart to the village. He would be a lot faster if he would do that but he had decided against it nonetheless. He was taking his training serious, so he pulled the cart to the village all by himself.

Night had fallen when he arrived in the village hours later, his body was covered in sweat, his arms and back were hurting and he was heavily exhausted. He had the impression that he could no longer move and would collapse at any moment.

He allowed himself a small pause and then brought the cart to the granary. The guards, two young male draenei, helped him to bring the chests in the building that was made out of solid wood. He thanked them and wished them a nice and quiet shift before he let the cart disappear and walked to the house of the elder, knocking softly at the wooden door. Nothing happened the first few moments but then the door was opened and Kelrian stepped inside.

The only source of light was the faint flame of the small candle the older draenei held in his hand, but Kelrian could still see him and everything in the room clearly because of his superior vision. He could clearly see the draenei's creased face that showed tiredness.

"You are back," the elder said. His voice was raspy.

"I found the object."

The elder's eyes lightened up. Suddenly, he looked less tired than before. "For real?"

Kelrian nodded and pulled the crystal out of his pouch and placed it on the palm of the elder's hand. The elder brought it close to his eyes which no longer reflected tiredness but curiosity and excitement. He regarded it for nearly two minutes and then walked over to the small cupboard on the left side of the room, opening one of the drawers. He pulled a black box out and put it in.

"Thank you so much, Chosen," the draenei said as he turned back to Kelrian.

"Please call me Kelrian, Elder Zumar. I don't like to be called Chosen or Chosen One. It's still hard for me to believe that the naaru regard me as a very special creature. In their eyes, I am chosen by the light to bring peace to Azeroth but... I don't know. I'm just an ordinary man, you know. I'm not even a priest or a paladin. I do not even worship the light like my family. I have never used the light before. I'm a mage and not a priest or a paladin."

"That doesn't have to mean anything. You may not serve the light now but that can change. You can always be brought on the just path of the light," replied Zumar.

"If I'm indeed the Chosen of the light, why haven't I been able to use the light when I trained to become a paladin or priest? Why did the light forsake me back then? Why didn't it allow me to become its servant when I wanted it more than anything else?"

Zumar shrugged. "There are always things we cannot understand. The universe itself is a mystery. We only know so little about the universe and the various organisms that live on numerous different worlds. We will never understand the will of the light. We will never understand why things happen, what the light's big plan is or why do we exist. We can rack our brains over these questions but we will never find answers to them. All we can do is accept how things are and make the best of our situations."

"The naaru said something similar to me. They told me to accept the fact that I'm not only the Sunwell's avatar but also the Chosen of the light. Despite my doubts, I think I should just listen to them and do what they tell me to do. They are much wiser than I will ever be. What could go wrong? Listening to them is the right thing to do, isn't it?"

Zumar nodded. "The naaru are the wisest creatures in the universe, they have never been wrong about anything. They are the purest expression of the Holy Light, so they are good creatures. There is no reason to not listen to them and follow their lead. I have no doubt that you will accomplish great things."

"I don't know much about you, Elder Zumar. But you appear very wise to me. I bet you have thousands of years of experience. You are much wiser than I will ever be. I trust your word. I should trust the naaru and do anything they want me to do. For now, I will train the exact way they want me to train."

"I bet they want to make you strong enough to fight all evil that might threaten the universe. You will have to protect Outland, Azeroth and maybe other worlds. Who knows?"

Kelrian said nothing in return.

"How long have you been training?" Zumar asked.

"Several months. The exercises change from month to month. The first month I had to improve my tenacity. I had to endure several unpleasant situations but I never gave up. The second month, I had to run a lot, climb mountains and even carry heavy things from one village to another. The third month I was trained in close combat. Sometimes my hands were bound behind my back, sometimes I was blindfolded and sometimes both. Not to mention that I had to fight opponents who had weapons and armour while I was unarmed and handicapped.

That training was very hard at the beginning but I got better and better with each passing day. They made sure I would be able to deal with opponents without having to use magic in case I land in a situation where I cannot cast spells. Next month they will send me to another city where I will learn the ways of the light. I will learn how to use it and much more."

"How long will your training go?"

Kelrian shrugged. "I will train as long as necessary. I assume the naaru will tell me when I'm ready for their final test."

"I wish you good luck then."

"Thank you."

"How long will you stay in our village?" Zumar asked curiously.

"As long as necessary. The light wants to prepare me for every possible situation that might happen in the future. Fighting underwater is one of these possible situations. I have to learn how to hold breath as long as possible. In case I have to fight the naga in their territories one day."

"I assume you go to the nearest lake every day to train."

Kelrian nodded. "I do. I swim and dive and... Do other things like fighting sea creatures."

"That's very interesting."

"They want to prepare me for everything. They want to make me the perfect warrior. I doubt that there will ever be the perfect warrior but I will give my best and become as strong as possible. I do not want to disappoint the light. I have to become much stronger to be able to protect Azeroth and its inhabitants."

"I wish you good luck in every matter."

Kelrian gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Elder Zumar."

"If you ever need help in a certain matter, don't hesitate to come to me. I will not refuse you anything."

Kelrian nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. I will go now. Even I have to sleep, believe it or not."

The elder draenei chuckled. "Good night, Kelrian."

Kelrian smiled. It was the first time Zumar had called him by his real name and not by his new titles. Kelrian wished the elderly man a good night before he left his house and closed the door behind him.


	65. Two Sides Of The Same Coin

"I cannot do this...Why am I not able to do this?" Kelrian shouted and turned around, kicking away the backpack that stood next to him. He was frustrated that things had not turned out the way he had wanted. He had tried it over and over again but it had not worked a single time. No matter how hard he had tried, he had not yet reached his goal. He had not been able to cast the spell.

The backpack landed on the other side of the room, its contents were scattered all over the floor. "Anger won't make your situation better. It won't change anything," replied his teacher as she picked up the backpack and began to put the items back inside.

"I know but... It's just so damn frustrating. I'm training this certain technique for several weeks and I have not done any progress. I'm still not able to heal anybody with the light. It's really frustrating... I wonder how I'm supposed to be the Chosen One when I'm not even able to heal others with the help of the holy light."

Liadrin stepped to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You have to be patient, cousin. Healing spells might be simpler than other priest and paladin spells but they still require concentration. Learning them is not always easy for everyone. Some learn them faster while others need longer to learn them. You should not feel ashamed nor should you worry. I'm certain you will learn how to heal others sooner or later."

Kelrian sighed. "This reminds me of the first time I tried to learn how to use the holy light. Back when I still lived in Xenarion's house. I gave everything I had but it was never enough. I was never good enough to learn the same spells my older siblings were able to use. I was the black sheep of my family, the only one who was not able to use the holy light. I have felt worthless and useless. Xenarion has despised me since I failed the first entrance examination for priests. He was not happy that I was not like my brothers and sisters."

Liadrin gave him a comforting smile. "You should be grateful that you were not like your siblings. If you would have become an apprentice of a priest or paladin, you would have never gotten known to Sylvanas. You wouldn't have served under her and you two wouldn't have fallen in love with each other and so on. You wouldn't be here if you would have become a wielder of the light instead of a ranger."

"You are right, I guess," replied Kelrian.

"I bet your life was not easy when you lived in Xenarion's house with your family. Xenarion did everything to make your life as hard as possible but you withstood and never allowed him to break your will. I admire you for that. Others would have given up after a while but you didn't. You found the right path for you and followed it no matter what happened.

You became a ranger, one of the best, and you became the lover of Sylvanas Windrunner, one of the most popular women of Quel'Thalas. No one would have ever expected that. You are a hero, Kelrian. You did so much for our people. You always thought about them first when you made a decision. We are glad to have you. I don't want to imagine how things would look like without you."

Kelrian smiled at her but said nothing at first. He was speechless and flattered. He had not expected his cousin to say so many good things about him. "Your words mean a lot to me," Kelrian said eventually.

Liadrin returned his smile. "You can accomplish much more than you already did. The light and the Sunwell chose you for a reason. I have no doubt that you will achieve more great things. I have no doubt you will meet the naaru's expectations. You just have to be patient and remain calm. Sometimes, we need more attempts to achieve your goals. I have no doubt that you will be able to use the light in the same ways as I do. All you have to do is to not give up and try it again and again until you succeed. I'm sure you can do this. You just have to believe in yourself."

"You are right, Liadrin. I will not lose hope. I will be patient and try it over and over again until I manage to heal someone with the help of the light."

"Good. You should take a break now. We will continue later."

"Sounds fine to me."

* * *

Kelrian had needed longer than expected to learn the technique but he had managed it in the end and that was all that mattered. He was finally able to heal wounded creatures with the light. It always took some time but he was always successful in the end. He trained every single day, trying to improve his healing ability. He became better and better with each passing week and even learned other spells priest and paladins were able to use. He could create barriers made out of holy light, use holy fire, bless others to make them stronger and even consecrate the ground. There were still enough spells he could learn but the ones he mastered were enough for him at the moment.

He was happy that Liadrin's training had finally paid off. He was finally able to use the light for battle or other situations. He was a champion of the light who was still on the way of becoming the Chosen One. The naaru had not changed their opinions about him. They still believed he was the one who would protect Azeroth and Outland from all evil. Kelrian had no doubt that being the Chosen One didn't mean that he was invincible. He still had to train regularly and become stronger. He also had to make sure he wouldn't get carried away.

He was still a mortal, so he was still vulnerable. There was no guarantee that he would be able to defeat every enemy he would encounter. He had to remain careful and avoid making bad decisions. The worst that could happen was that Kelrian would underestimate his opponents. He was well aware that there were enough powerful beings in the universe. He had to take each opponent seriously. He wouldn't toy with them. He would take each fight seriously. He would do everything in his power to defeat all evil. The Scourge. The Burning Legion and every threat that will follow. He made it his task to save Azeroth with the help of the naaru and the light.

Kelrian looked up from his palms as he noticed someone entering the sparring room. A might male draenei in splendid white-golden armour was walking over to him. His skin had a much darker blue tone than his eyes, the head of his hammer was a thick oval-shaped purple glowing crystal. Kelrian had no doubt that this draenei could easily crush heads and bones with this hammer. I

Kelrian got up from the bench he was sitting on, waiting until the paladin had reached him. "Greetings."

"Greetings, Chosen One," the draenei said and lowered his head in respect.

"I don't like to be called like that. Please call me Kelrian."

"As you wish. My name is Maraad."

"Maraad. I heard your name before. You are a vindicator, a defender of your people, aren't you?"

Maraad nodded. "I am. I fought the Burning Legion to guarantee the safety of my people. I didn't manage to save everyone..." For a short moment, sadness could be seen in his eyes and be heard in his voice. He cleared his throat, making the sadness vanish. "But I did everything in my power to save as many as I could."

"Some people say that the will is all that matters," replied Kelrian.

"Together with others, I saved thousands. That's all that matters to me."

Kelrian gave him an agreeing nod. "What can I do for you, Maraad?"

"The naaru wants to see you."

"Then I shouldn't let them wait for too long," replied Kelrian. He ran his fingers through his short hair, noticing that it was wet. His whole body was covered in sweat due to the extreme training session he had just finished.

"The naaru are very patient creatures. They will not mind waiting a little longer. You can take a shower or a bath first if you want."

Kelrian dried his exposed upper body with a white towel. He picked up the golden tunic that laid on the bench and put it on. "I will go to them nonetheless."

Maraad nodded and began to walk towards the room's exit. Kelrian followed him until they came to a huge hall in which middle Z'eru was floating. Kelrian walked over to it and bowed down in front of it. "You asked for me, Z'eru."

"I noticed that you became much stronger over the past months. Your progress seems promising. Do you feel ready?"

"I do. I think I trained enough."

"Then it's time for your final test," replied the naaru.

Kelrian nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"You have to prove yourself worthy by killing an evil entity in a duel."

"An evil entity?"

"It's an evil creature from a different timeline. It seems that it came to our timeline by accident. It didn't hesitate to attack anyone who came close to it, and it killed dozens of creatures before we managed to capture it."

"Who is this evil creature?"

"You will find that out soon, Kelrian. Maraad will guide you to the mage that will bring you to the dimension where we imprisoned it," explained the naaru.

"I won't disappoint you, Z'eru."

"I know you won't. I have put my trust in you. You will pass this test, I'm sure of that."

Kelrian regarded the ancient creature for a few moments before he looked at Maraad who nodded at him. Kelrian followed the draenei paladin to a small room. Kelrian didn't hesitate to greet the male night elf mage who got up from the wooden bench he had been sitting on.

"The Chosen One is ready to fight the prisoner," said Maraad.

The night elf nodded. "Give me a few minutes." He created a one-way portal within seven minutes. "I will bring you back once you have defeated your opponent."

"And what if I'm not able to defeat him?" Kelrian asked the mage.

The night elf's eyes reflected insecurity as he looked at Maraad. "Z'eru ordered us to not interfere no matter what will happen."

"So I'm basically on my own."

Maraad nodded. "But it won't get that far. Z'eru is convinced of your victory."

"And you?"

Maraad hesitated for a moment. "I believe in Z'eru's judgement **.** The naaru have never been wrong about anything. If they say you will win, then it will happen."

"We will see about that," whispered Kelrian. Doubt was barely hearable in his voice.

"Did you say something?" the draenei paladin asked.

Kelrian shook his head. "Nothing important."

"Are you ready?"

Kelrian muttered a few phrases in ancient thalassian, letting his armour and his sword appear. The golden armour fit him well and the sword was not too heavy. He had no problems whirling it around. He let a potion appear, drinking it. He no longer felt exhausted when he had consumed the whole potion. He gave Maraad determined nod. "Now I am."

Maraad looked at the portal and then back at Kelrian. "I will see you again soon."

Kelrian nodded and stepped through the portal. He checked his surroundings as soon as he arrived in the new location. The air was cool, the ground beneath his feet was even, firm and light brown. There were no signs of vegetation. No trees, no bushes and no other plants. Except for one creature, there were no signs of life in this area. Kelrian and his opponent were the only creatures in this strange place.

Kelrian's eyes were narrowed when they began to regard the creature from head to toe but they widened quickly as he realized who that person was. He recognized the familiar eyes. Fel green eyeballs and golden irises. He also recognized the felstone horns, the familiar wings, the light green skin and the pale blond hair. He recognized the familiar handsome face. It was his face.

The evil creature he had to fight was no other than himself. A previous version of him. An evil version.

Dreadfist.

Dreadfist from another timeline. A timeline where he had not been freed from the Legion's control. It seemed like that at least. Kelrian had no idea what exactly happened in this creature's timeline but he had no doubt that only bad things had happened.

Kelrian noticed that Dreadfist was also regarding him from head to toe. "You are so fucking ugly," the half-demon said eventually.

"That's coming from you," Kelrian snorted. "Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror?"

"I look much better than you. Just look at yourself. Golden armour, golden eyes and short golden hair? Short hair? Really? Having a short haircut as an elf is basically a no-go."

"It has its advantages, especially in combat situations if your opponent fights dirty. The chances that my opponents get an advantage by pulling on my hair is much lower that way. Anyway, I'm not here to discuss my appearance with you," responded Kelrian.

"You came here to kill me, didn't you?" Dreadfist asked amused.

Kelrian nodded.

Loud laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips.

"What is so funny?" asked Kelrian irritated.

"That you think you can kill me. You should know that I'm playing in another league."

"I said that too when I was controlled by the Legion but the Alliance still managed to defeat me. I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you. You're not invincible."

Dreadfist's lips formed a grin. "If only you would know what I have seen."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Dreadfist's grin became wider. "I'm a medium. I can see the future, not everything that will happen but I have seen many things. I have seen the outcome of our duel. I saw YOUR death. It looked painful but it was satisfying to watch."

Kelrian's facial expression didn't change. He didn't allow Dreadfist to unsettle him. He was convinced that Dreadfist was just bluffing. He was convinced that everything Dreadfist had said was just idle gossip.

"I don't believe you," Kelrian replied eventually.

Dreadfist snorted. "I have the same abilities you had when you served the Legion. You and I are able to see things which will happen in the future but we can also see things that happened in the past. We may have no control over what we are seeing and when we are seeing visions but we are able to see the future and the past. Why don't you want to believe that I saw the outcome of our duel years ago?"

Kelrian titled his head. "Even if this is true, it doesn't have to mean anything. Not all of my visions came true. I once saw a vision where I met up with Sylvanas and I was behaving weirdly. I was overconfident, and our relationship was only about sex. The vision took place before Doctor Sivallah turned me into a monster. Before she turned me into you. That vision never became true. I have never acted like this, nor was the relationship between me and Sylvanas ever just about sex. That is proof enough that not everything I see, not everything WE see, will occur."

Dreadfist snorted again. "You are a fool if you believe that you can kill me."

Kelrian's reply was sharp. "You are a fool if you believe that any of your stupid words matter to me."

Dreadfist's eyes narrowed. "I thought we could have a nice conversation but it seems your death wish is too strong to be ignored. Fine. I will kill you quickly."

"Try it."

Dreadfist let two familiar runeblades appear in front of him. Drak'tar and Worldender. He grabbed them without hesitation, spinning them around. His left hand held Drak'tar and the other held Worldender. A loud battle cry escaped Dreadfist's lips as she sprinted towards Kelrian and swung his swords at him.

Kelrian jumped to the side, completely avoiding the half-demon's attack. He was not sure if his sword would stand against these powerful runeblades, so he preferred to dodge his opponent's attacks as long as he could. He would only try to block them with his sword if he had no other choice.

Dreadfist swung his swords again but Kelrian avoided them again. Dreadfist remained calm and attacked for the third time. He didn't pull a face when Kelrian dodged his attacks once again. His opponent was faster than he had expected.

Kelrian was aware that he wouldn't defeat his opponent if he would do nothing but dodging his attacks. He had to be active too, so he waited for the perfect opportunity to attack. Shortly after he had dodged Dreadfist's runeblades again, he swung his sword and cut through the armour that covered Dreadfist's left hip. Green blood flowed out of the medium-deep cut caused by the golden sword.

An angry cry escaped Dreadfist's lips as he swung his swords again, hitting Kelrian with Drak'tar this time. Kelrian's armour got damaged but at least he didn't get injured. Dreadfist swung his two swords once again, hitting Kelrian's upper body armour for the second time. He left a huge cut in the golden material through which Kelrian's golden vest could be seen. The armour hadn't withstood the demon's blades but at least it had prevented Kelrian from getting wounded.

Dreadfist attempted to hit him again. Kelrian would have been hit by both runeblades if he wouldn't have teleported away at the last moment. He stood not far away from the half-demon who turned around and sprinted towards him. Kelrian teleported away once again, noticing that it cost him a not so little portion of his mana. He knew he wouldn't be able to teleport more than two or three additional times. He was no longer a mage but he was still able to use a few techniques he had learned before his rebirth. He was still able to use them but they weren't cheap. They cost a good portion of his mana, so he only used them if he had to.

"You are still able to teleport, that's interesting. A paladin who is able to use mage abilities. You are indeed something special. I wonder how often you can teleport until you get exhausted. Let's find it out, shall we?"

Dreadfist made a large leap, landing a few feet away from Kelrian who had taken a defensive posture in the meantime. The half-demon prepared his next attack, executing it perfectly. He managed to knock the sword out of Kelrian's hand and damaged his upper body armour much more seriously this time.

He swung his runeblades again but Kelrian managed to create a barrier around himself which blocked both sword swings. The half-demon needed a few more swings to destroy it. But before he was able to attack Kelrian, he was hit by a ray of holy light which burned a hole in his left bracer and even injured the light green flesh beneath it.

Nothing but a quiet hiss escaped Dreadfist's lips as he lifted his left arm. His forearm hurt but the pain was not that bad nor was the wound serious. He was still able to hold Drak'tar without any problems. He swung both runeblades effortlessly but Kelrian rolled beneath them, ramming a dagger made of holy light into Dreadfist's left upper thigh in the same movement. A loud painful cry could be heard from Dreadfist at the same moment Kelrian picked his sword up.

He got to his feet, sending a sphere of light at the annoyed demon. Dreadfist was able to dodge it even with the dagger in his leg. He pulled the dagger out, noticing that his glove had been damaged in the process. He didn't want to imagine how much pain the dagger would cause if he would have to touch it with his bare hand. He was glad that he wore gloves.

The dagger may no longer stick in his upper thigh but the pain he felt was still enormous. It gave him the impression that the sharp object still stuck in his flesh but it didn't. Contrary to his expectation, the wound didn't heal. It remained open and blood was still flowing out.

"How can a small dagger cause so much pain," Dreadfist screamed and made a step forward, noticing that he had to exert himself more to do that. "It doesn't stop hurting... What did you do to me, bastard?"

Kelrian didn't respond to this different version of himself. He didn't hesitate to attack his opponent, hoping that his mobility advantage would allow him to seriously hurt Dreadfist. He walked circles around his opponent and attacked whenever he got the opportunity but the half-demon was still fast enough to turn around and block his attacks. He was defending himself but at least he didn't attack.

Kelrian said nothing to his opponent. He didn't provoke him nor did he allow himself to think that he was winning. He kept a cool head and continued to keep the half-demon busy, preventing him from using any of the runes tattooed on his hands and engraved in the blades of his swords. He knew better than anyone else how much destruction can be caused by the use of the runes. He knew that Dreadfist would need time to use them. He would have to concentrate himself to activate them and gain power. As long as Kelrian forced Dreadfist to block his attacks, the demon wouldn't be able to let his surroundings explode or do something else.

The rhythmical swinging and blocking went on for a while, Kelrian even used spells from time to time but Dreadfist always found a way to prevent them and protect himself. Either he wrapped a barrier around himself or one of his swords blocked the spell or even absorbed it. Kelrian had gotten much more exhausted but he was still able to continue. The wound in Dreadfist's upper thigh didn't look good but it wasn't mortal. He could still move his left leg, however slower than the other.

Kelrian's plan was simple. He would continue until the half-demon would tire. His plan didn't sound bad but there was still a problem with that. Dreadfist didn't get tired. His reflexes might have become slower than before but he still didn't seem to get exhausted. At least not as exhausted as Kelrian.

"Why don't you become tired?" Kelrian hissed after a while.

A grin appeared on Dreadfist's lips. "I told you that I'm much stronger than you think. I'm playing in another league."

"Bullshit."

"Imagine what I would do to you if I would be allowed to use my runes. I would wipe the floor with a pitiful creature like you. Chosen of the light. Pah. Don't make me laugh. You are nothing but a loser who achieved nothing without the help of supernatural beings. If the naaru and wouldn't have saved you, you would serve the Scourge as a high ranked general."

Kelrian swung his sword again but Dreadfist blocked it like thehundreds of swings before. "Keep talking, demon. Your words don't matter to me."

Dreadfist grinned as he blocked the next attack. "Are you sure about that? Don't you want to know what I will do to your masters and your friends once I'm done with you? Don't you want to know what I will do to your wife?"

It was not easy for Kelrian to not reply to his foe but he managed to hold back despite the anger he felt.

"I will do the same to your Sylvanas than I did to mine. I broke her mind and made her to my slave. My trophy. She is pretty good at warming my bed. I can't wait to rape your wife until she begs me to fuck her. I can't wait to break her and make her my personal sex slave. Imagine having two Banshee Queens who would do anything you want from them."

Anger was clearly visible in Kelrian's face. His eyes were narrowed, hatred and disgust were reflected by them. His facial features were distorted in anger and he was biting his bottom lip hard. His left hand clasped the handle of his sword tighter than usual, his other hand was clenched.

"Don't worry about her. She will be happy taking my cock, the cock of a legend. Millions of times better than taking the cock of a piece of shit like you."

"Are you done talking, bastard?" Kelrian pressed through gritted teeth.

Dreadfist's lips formed a mischievous grin. "Not yet. I'm haven't told you what I'm going to do to Sylvanas' sisters and your family."

"You will never get out of here, so it doesn't matter what you made up in your crazy mind."

"You will be my key to get out of this boring place. The naaru will not allow me to kill you, so they will have no other choice than freeing me."

"You have to defeat me first," Kelrian hissed as he executed another sword strike. Kelrian expected Dreadfist to block it like the hundreds of times before but he did something he would have never expected from him or anyone else. The demon didn't defend himself this time and allowed Kelrian's sword to cut deep into his flesh.

The sword stuck deep in his left shoulder and was unmoveable. Kelrian could neither thrust it deeper nor could he pull it out. Kelrian tried to rip it out but even with both hands, he was not successful. It was stuck.

Despite the massive amount of pain Dreadfist felt, he was still able to grin at his astonished foe. He was not able to move his left arm but his right arm was not hindered. He thrust Worldender through Kelrian's left hip, his grin became much wider as he heard Kelrian's painful scream and saw his distorted expression. He landed a kick in the Chosen's stomach, causing him to let go of the sword's handle. Another precise and strong kick caused Kelrian to fall to the ground.

Dreadfist ignored the green blood that was flowing down his body as he approached Kelrian and put a foot on him. "You are still so weak. I can't believe that the naaru thought you are ready to beat me. Seems that these ancient creatures are not as wise as the draenei claim. Or maybe it's just the fel that made me too strong for you. You must know that Lord Kil'jaeden granted me unimaginable powers. I was even able to defeat the Lich King. It was harder than I have expected and many of my servants died but I killed him in the end."

Dreadfist applied pressure on Kelrian's chest, preventing him from getting up. "The citizens of Azeroth stood no chance against the armies of the Burning Legion when we invaded the planet and claimed the titan soul as ours. Those who didn't join the Legion died. I will do the same with your world once I escaped this prison." Evil laughter escaped Dreadfist's lips. **"** Your world is just another source of power for the Burning Legion. Nothing more."

"You...will...not...get...through...with this..." Kelrian pressed through gritted teeth. The pain in his chest got worse with each passing second.

Dreadfist tilted his head and gave Kelrian a small smile. "We will see about that. I think it's time to get out of this miserable place."

Dreadfist lifted his head and looked somewhere. "If you don't want me to kill him you better get me out of this prison, naaru. I know that you are watching us. I know that you want to keep him alive. Free me or I will thrust my sword right through his heart," he shouted as loud as he could. Nothing happened. Not in the first few seconds and also not after five minutes. Dreadfist's expression reflected anything but amusement. "I'm not bluffing. I'm dead serious about this."

No creature appeared. No portal was created. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. Dreadfist turned his head as soon as he heard soft laughter. "What is so funny?" he snapped at Kelrian.

"The naaru won't free you because they don't believe I lost."

Dreadfist pressed the tip of Worldender against Kelrian's throat. "What are you talking about? I only need to move my blade a few inches to end your worthless life."

"Are you sure about that?"

Dreadfist raised an eyebrow, his multi-coloured eyes reflected confusion. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, just buying time."

"Buying time? For what? There is no one who is going to help you." Dreadfist sounded much more irritated than before.

"Are you sure about that?" said Kelrian's voice but it didn't come out of his mouth. The one who had spoken was behind Dreadfist. The half-demon turned around, his eyes widened as sharp object pierced through his flesh. He spat blood out and lowered his gaze, noticing the golden object in his chest. It was a knife made of holy light. Dreadfist's eyes became much wider as he saw the familiar face. "How? How is that possible?"

"You should better watch your surroundings next time you talk. You were so busy telling me all of this nonsense that you didn't notice me preparing a spell," Kelrian said as he thrust the knife deeper in the demon's chest. Dreadfist regarded the wounded sin'dorei in front of him before he averted his gaze and looked at the creature on the ground, he had thought to be Kelrian. It was still there but its body had begun to dissolve. The lower half of the body was already missing.

"An illusion?"

"No. A clone."

"But how? How did you create him without me seeing him or noticing his aura?"

Kelrian smirked but said nothing in return. He thrust the knife as deep as possible in his opponent's chest, disarming the demon before he could attack him with his sword. Dreadfist spat more blood out. Fear could be seen in his eyes for the first time. He was in shock and unable to move. He stood still and didn't defend himself as Kelrian picked up Drak'tar and rammed the tip in his belly. The Chosen thrust the entire length of the blade in Dreadfist's stomach.

Suddenly, his sight blurred and then became clearer again. Kelrian noticed quickly that his surroundings had changed. He expected to be back in the Terrace of Light but after close observation, he realized that he was not there. He was somewhere else.

He was on a balcony. The floor and the railing were made out of white marble. There was a bench to his right but no one sat on it. He saw a creature. Two creatures to be exact.

There was a beautiful woman that stood in front of the railing. She wore a golden dress, her magnificent golden hair reached to her shoulders. Her golden eyes rested on him, her perfect lips formed a smile. Her skin looked healthy and had the colour of peaches. Her ears were long and pointed, her earrings were yellow crystals shaped like the sun. Her facial features were unmistakable. Kelrian knew exactly who she was.

She carried a baby in her arms. The baby was not older than three months. Its eyes were as golden as the woman's, its skin had a similar colour than its mother's. The few tufts of hair on its head were blond, its ears were tiny and pointed. It wore a blue-golden crawler.

The baby looked at him, a noise similar to a laugh escaped its lips as it recognized him. The woman's smile became wider. She stretched one of her arms out, the other was still wrapped around the baby. She held it tightly, preventing it to slip out of her embrace.

Kelrian came closer to her and stretched his arm out, wanting to touch her. He wanted to touch her so badly. He wanted to grab her hand and intertwine their fingers. He wanted to bring her hand to his lips and kiss it. He wanted to kiss her full lips more than anything else. But his sight blurred out again before he was able to reach her hand.

When his surroundings became clearer again, he realized that he was back in the dimension prison. Dreadfist still stood in front of him but his gaze was blank. He did not move, his chest didn't raise and sunk in an inconsistent rhythm as it had done before. He was no longer breathing.

He was no longer alive.

Dreadfist was dead.

He was only still standing because Kelrian was holding him. Kelrian removed his hand from the demon's shoulder, watching him fall backwards and land on the ground. Kelrian regarded this twisted version of himself for a few moments before he turned away and looked upwards. He didn't need to wait for too long.

A few minutes later, he found himself in familiar surroundings. Maraad and the mage were regarding him curiously. "You did it," the draenei congratulated as he approached Kelrian and lowered his head in respect.

Kelrian was not sure what he should say in response so he decided to remain silent.

"The fight was very close. Even though it looked bad for you at some points, I had no doubt you would defeat him in the end."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "You watched the fight?"

The night elf mage pointed at the glass globe in his hands. "We did."

Kelrian nodded. "I want to see Z'eru. I need to talk to it about something."

"I will accompany you."

"You don't have to do that, Maraad. I know where I have to go."

"Let me heal you at least," the draenei said insistently.

Kelrian looked down at himself, noticing that he was still wounded. Blood was flowing out of his open wounds and dropped onto the floor. He looked back at Maraad who was giving him a determined look. "Alright. But be quick, I want to speak to Z'eru as soon as possible."


	66. Homecoming

"Welcome back, Chosen. I knew you would be victorious. I saw your future. Every aspect of it," said the warm and gentle voice of Z'eru when Kelrian entered the hall.

Kelrian didn't hesitate to walk over to the naaru, bowing in front of her. "Stand up, Chosen. You don't have to kneel in front of anyone. Not even in front of me or the other naaru. If I could kneel, I would kneel in front of you. You are the Chosen One. The one who will save Azeroth. The one who will protect it from all evil."

"Are you sure that I'm indeed the Chosen One? I nearly lost to that demon. Are you sure you are not confusing me with someone else?"

"I have never been wrong about anything," replied the naaru. "I know it's you who will be Azeroth's saviour."

"I nearly lost the fight..."

"Only nearly. You won in the end and that is all that matters. The fact that you are the Chosen One doesn't make you invincible. You can't expect yourself to be much stronger than every creature in the universe. There are enough creatures which are very powerful. Few of them might be equally strong or even stronger. Dreadfist was one of those whose powers even surpassed yours but you defeated him in the end. That is all that matters."

Curiosity was reflected by Kelrian's eyes. "He told me that he saw the outcome of the fight years ago. He told me that he saw my death. He also told me that he managed to defeat the Lich King in his dimension. Was he lying?"

"I don't know what was going on in his mind but I assume that what he said is not true. Maybe he believed that it is true but it was not true. Not everything at least. It is true that he was the one who killed the Lich King in his dimension but he had help. Mal'Ganis and several other powerful demons helped him."

"Was he a medium? Was he able to see the future?" Kelrian asked.

"Like you, he was able to see future events from time to time. He had no control over it. He is not a medium nor did he possess the powers of the dragons of the Bronze Dragonflight. He was just a madman who believed that he was a god. And now he is dead. It's for the best. He would have been a danger to everyone."

"A lot of creatures would have died if he would have escaped."

"You did the universe a favour," replied the ancient being.

"What Dreadfist said about Sylvanas...His Sylvanas...The Sylvanas from his dimension...Do you think that he spoke the truth?"

"You want to know if he turned her into his personal slave."

Kelrian nodded hesitantly.

"I'm afraid he did. He didn't lie to you in this matter. The Sylvanas in his dimension is no longer like your Sylvanas. He broke her and changed her for his liking. But this parallel universe doesn't have to bother you. It's not your task as the Chosen One to save this universe. It cannot be saved but ours can. We need to protect Azeroth from the Scourge and the Burning Legion. It is your task to do everything in your power to achieve that goal. That's your main purpose. Focus on your main goal and stop worrying about parallel universes."

Kelrian hesitated but then nodded, not knowing what to think about this matter. He didn't want to imagine a world where Sylvanas was nothing more than a toy for a crazy half-demon. Dreadfist might be gone but this version of Sylvanas was still not the woman she used to be. He doubted that she could become the woman she had once been again.

As much as he hated this thought, he knew that Z'eru was right. He had other things to worry about than a different version of Azeroth and a different version of his wife. His family was still out there and not safe at all. The Burning Legion and the Scourge were still posing threats to his home world.

He had to do everything in his power to stop them. He had to do everything to protect his family. His son, his sisters-in-law, his cousin, his friends, his people, the Alliance and of course Sylvanas. She and their children were the most important persons in his life. He would do anything necessary to protect them. He had sworn to himself to look for a way to free his daughter from the Lich King's control. He wanted to bring her back to their family and allow her to live a more or less normal life as an undead. He didn't want her to serve the Scourge until the end of her days. Saving his daughter was very important to him.

Z'eru's warm voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"For the ritual. We will make you stronger and give you new abilities which will help you fight all evil."

"I want to know one more thing first," Kelrian said demandingly.

"Go ahead."

"When I stabbed Dreadfist with his own sword, I... I saw something. It was like a vision but it felt so real. I had the impression that I was really there. The woman I saw... Was she real? Was it really her?"

"It was her."

Kelrian's eyes widened a little, his heart began to beat faster and his skin tingled nervously. "How is that possible? How can she be alive? Truly alive..."

"I will explain it to you after the ritual. You will see things from a different perspective once the ritual is completed. You will understand why your wife is alive in that vision. Truly alive."

Kelrian nodded. Happiness, curiosity, anticipation and many other emotions could be seen in his eyes. It was obvious that he was looking forward to finding out the meaning of this vision. He couldn't wait to find out the truth. To find out how it was possible that Sylvanas might be alive in the future.

There was nothing he wanted more than to bring Sylvanas back to life. He didn't know how, but it seemed to be possible. He hoped it at least. He didn't want to get any false hopes and invest time and resources into something which might not be possible in the end. He remained as calm as possible and decided to wait until the ritual would be completed. He had to wait until Z'eru would explain everything to him.

"I'm ready," he said to the naaru eventually.

"Good. Follow Maraad. He will guide you to the room where the ritual will be carried out."

"As you wish."

* * *

Kelrian opened his eyes and lifted his upper body up, turning his head to check his surroundings. He laid in a bed made of softwood, his body was covered by a white blanket. The room was kept simple, the furniture didn't look extraordinary expensive but still quite solid. There was a table on the right side of the room, a creature sat on one of the two chairs next to it. It was no other than his cousin.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Liadrin said smilingly.

"Good morning, Liadrin," Kelrian said in return. He regarded her from head to toe, noticing that she didn't look much different. She still wore the same golden-red armour she wore every day as the leader of the Blood Knights.

"How long was I asleep?" Kelrian asked when he was done with examining his cousin.

"Two days."

Kelrian wasn't surprised by her response. "I see. I suppose the ritual was successful."

"Seems so. I was not there when it was carried out but I can feel your aura. It's much stronger than before."

Kelrian got up from the bed and walked over to the mirror that stood next to the wardrobe. He didn't hesitate to regard himself. His whole upper body was covered by golden tattoos. Mostly symbols and letters of a language he didn't know. Even his back was tattooed.

"Not sure what I should say about these tattoos, to be honest."

"They look good on you. I think Sylvanas will like them."

"Sylvanas... I haven't seen her for nearly a year... I should meet her as soon as I can. Have you seen her in the past months?"

Liadrin nodded. "I did. She misses you but she understands that you have to be on Outland to train. She doesn't want to stop you from following the path destiny chose for you."

"Destiny... I remember the time where I thought that I always choose my own destiny but now it seems that everything is predetermined for me. It was not my decision to become the Chosen One. It was the light and the naaru who chose me for whatever reason."

"Do you still doubt that you are worthy enough to be the Chosen One? If that's the case then I have to assure you that you are. All you did was for the well-being of our people. You want nothing more than to protect our people, your friends and your family. You wouldn't even hesitate to sacrifice your life for the greater good. If you are not worthy, then I do not know who else should be."

"I no longer doubt the light's choice. I trust the naaru's words. If they say that I'm the one who will bring light into the darkness, then they must be right. The draenei said that the naaru have never been wrong about anything. The draenei are very wise creatures. They know a lot of things that are not known to me. I trust them too."

Liadrin smiled. "Time passed so quickly. I still remember the day you were born. I knew from the very first day that you were special but I would have never believed that you would be that special. Winning the heart of the Ranger-General, one of the most famous women of our kingdom, is one thing but becoming the Chosen of the light is a completely different story. I would have never believed back then that you would accomplish such things. Especially after you have shown no promising signs that you can use the light. Your tale is very interesting, Kelrian."

Kelrian returned her smile. "Yours is interesting too. You started as an ordinary novice priestess but you rose to the highest rank, joined the Knights of the Silver Hand and later you became the Blood Knight Matriarch. You became a powerful paladin and the leader of an influential organisation. You helped to rebuild our fallen kingdom and lead our people through the hardest crisis they ever had to go through."

"You might be right but my story is not as interesting as yours, Kelrian. Anyway, how are you doing? Do you feel a difference?"

Kelrian thought about her words for a few moments. "Not really, to be honest. I feel stronger and more confident than before but that's it. Except for the tattoos, my body didn't change either."

"Your eyes and your hair are the most obvious changes. You look so much better without that green demon hand."

Kelrian didn't avert his gaze when he put on an undershirt and a tunic. "Thank you. I wonder what Sylvanas will say about my hair. She loved my long mane. Now that it is gone, I wonder if she will miss it."

"I think she will need some time to get used to it but I don't think it will really matter to her. All that matters to her is that you are healthy and alive," replied Liadrin.

Kelrian nodded. "You are right. I have to visit her as soon as the naaru allow me to leave Outland."

"You should do that indeed."

"I will go to the naaru now. You can stay here if you want or come with me. It is up to you."

"I wish I could come with you but there is something else I have to do. Feel free to tell me when you are leaving Outland."

"I will. See you later, Liadrin."

"See you later, Kel."

Kelrian waved at her and left the room quickly, making his way to the main hall where Z'eru and A'dal were waiting for him. No one else was in the room.

"What can we do for you, Chosen?" Z'eru asked.

"I wanted to ask you the same question," replied Kelrian.

"You already fulfilled our wishes and attended the ritual. How do you feel?"

"Good, I guess. I don't feel very different. All I noticed is that my aura became stronger but that's it. Oh, and the tattoos. What's their purpose?"

"They confirm that you are indeed the Chosen One and not just a stranger who pretends to be the Chosen One. Almost all servants of the light know about these tattoos," explained A'dal.

"I assume that all Chosen had these tattoos."

"You are right about that," said Z'eru.

"What about the vision I saw?"

"It might come true if certain events occur."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, a questionable look could be seen on his face. "Certain events?"

"We don't know of all events which have to occur but already we know about a few."

Kelrian felt his heart beat faster in his chest. His skin was tingling and his throat was dry. The thought about Sylvanas becoming alive again made him nervous and excited at the same time. He hoped so dearly that what he had seen would come true. He wanted Sylvanas' suffering to end and he wanted to have the third child they had planned to have. He would do anything necessary to make this vision come true. To turn this vision into reality was his greatest desire.

"Which ones do you know?"

"The Lich King must die but Illidan must live."

"Why Illidan?" Kelrian asked curiously.

"He will be able to show you the location of a certain object you need to turn the vision into reality. If he dies, the vision will never become true," explained Z'eru.

Kelrian nodded. "I see. Is there anything else you already know except for the fates of Arthas and Illidan?"

"Unfortunately, no. We will inform you as soon as we know more. Just like you, we also only see bits and pieces of the future. We don't know everything and we cannot foresee everything."

A'dal spoke before Kelrian could say anything in response. "You cannot tell your wife or anyone else about the vision. You have to keep it secret. The chance is high that things turn out differently if people know about it. Promise us to not tell anyone. Only the naaru are allowed to know about it."

"That almost sounds as if you want this to happen. Is there a certain reason why you want Sylvanas' resurrection?"

"There is," began Z'eru. "As you know, there have been Chosen Ones before you. All of them fulfilled their purposes but in the end, the Legion or other threats got them. All of them died in the end and we had trouble finding a new one every single time. Often, we didn't have a Chosen for decades or even centuries. We want to prevent being without a Chosen in case something happens to you. That's why we want a rightful successor. Someone who will be trained to become the Chosen One in case something happens to you."

"The child in the vision will be my successor," Kelrian said surprised.

"Only if something unexpected happens. We don't expect you to die against the Scourge or the Legion but we cannot be sure. Things often didn't turn out as we have expected. We have to be prepared for everything, for every possibility. That's why we take these precautions."

"I want this to happen and I'm glad you are supporting me in this matter."

"You are the Chosen, it's our task to help you whenever we can. We must accompany you on your path and make sure you will meet the expectations of the light."

"I won't disappoint you," said Kelrian determinedly.

"We know."

"Is there anything I have to do for you or can I return to Azeroth and meet my wife and my son?"

"We have no tasks for you at the moment. We will let you know when there is something to do for you."

Kelrian nodded. "So I can go to Azeroth?"

"You can go wherever you want."

Kelrian smiled. "I will always be ready to do whatever you want me to do."

"Good. Now go, your wife misses you."

Kelrian lowered his head in respect, said goodbye to the naaru and left the hall without hesitation.

* * *

Even though Sylvanas had started working two hours ago, she had not gotten very far. The stacks of documents on her desk hadn't gotten much smaller in the past two hours. The reason for that was a lack of concentration. She couldn't really get focused enough to do her work because she couldn't stop thinking about him. Almost a year had passed since he had gone to Outland and she had no idea when he would return. She had no idea how long this training would endure.

She missed him so badly. She wished he was there. She wished he was in her office, so she could hug him and kiss him. She wanted to spend time with him, wanted to be around him and do whatever he wanted to do. It didn't matter to her what they would do, she just wanted to be together with him. She yearned for him. Her body yearned for him too. For his soft touch and the heat that was radiated by his body.

In all the years they had been separated, Sylvanas had not missed him as much as she was missing him these days. It was ten times worse than all the other times she had not been able to be close to him. If it was up to her, she would go to Outland and meet him but she had a city to run, not to mention that she didn't want to distract Kelrian from his training. Him becoming strong enough to be the Chosen was the most important thing at the moment. Her lower needs were negligible.

She would have to wait as long as necessary. She could only hope that his training wouldn't take years. If so, she would have to deal with it and wait patiently. Sylvanas was a patient person but at the same time, she hated waiting. She hated it but accepted it nevertheless. She had to. She had no other choice than waiting, no matter how much she hated it.

Sylvanas was wondering what Kelrian was doing at the moment. Was he training? Resting? Speaking to the naaru? To the draenei? Was he doing something else?

She wondered how his training would look like. She wondered what he would have to do. She wondered who will train him. There were so many questions in her head. Questions to which she wouldn't get answers so soon.

She was still lost in thoughts but not for too long because loud knocks at the door brought her back to reality. Her gaze fell on the door but she said nothing nor did she do anything. Only when the unknown person knocked again, she sat upright and told the person to come in.

The door was opened a short moment later, her eyes widened in surprise when she caught sight of the familiar man. Her gaze fell on his handsome face and then wandered to his hair. His new hairstyle really surprised her. She had to admit that he looked good with short hair but she still preferred him with long hair. But it was not her who decided about his hairstyle. It was him. If he wanted to have short hair, she wouldn't say anything against it. She wouldn't try to convince him to keep his hair longer. It was his decision and not hers.

Sylvanas got up from her chair and rushed over to her husband who closed the door in the meantime. She wrapped her arms around his upper body before he could even react. His armour was gone a few moments later and replaced by soft silk which was much more comfortable than the firm material of the armour. Kelrian had replaced his whole armour with a golden tunic and a golden pair of trousers without having to speak a wording. He had just done it as if the spell was one of the easiest he was able to use.

Kelrian didn't hesitate to put his right hand on the back of her head and wrap his left arm around her waist. He pulled her closer against him and pulled her hood down, running his fingers through her pale blonde hair. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, enjoying their close body contact. He had missed her so much. He was glad to finally have her in his arms after almost a year of being away from her.

"I missed you," Sylvanas whispered against his chest.

The corner's of Kelrian's lips formed a smile. "I missed you too, Sylvanas." He toyed with her hair, wrapping a few strands around his fingers.

"Your aura feels so different. You even smell different," she whispered after a while.

"What do I smell like?" Kelrian asked curiously.

"It's hard to define, to be honest. Your smell reminds me of vanilla. Dunno why."

"And my aura?"

"It still has similarities to the aura of mages but it reminds me more of the aura of a paladin. But it's much stronger than the auras of any paladin I ever met in my life. Liadrin's, Tiron Fordring's and not even Uther's, Turalyon's and Arthas' auras have been so strong."

"Well, I'm more than just a paladin."

"I know."

They said nothing for a while and just hugged each other. They enjoyed the presence of the other and the pleasant silence which was eventually broken by Sylvanas.

"How was your training?"

"More challenging than expected. Especially my final test."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow curiously. "Final test?"

"I fought an evil creature from a different timeline."

"Tell me more."

"I had to fight myself basically."

Sylvanas' eyes widened, her face reflected heavy surprise. "Yourself? What do you mean?"

"I fought Dreadfist. I fought what I would have become if Raesh wouldn't have stopped me. If he wouldn't have pushed me through the window by accident, I would have become this angry and insane creature. He was so powerful. He was much stronger than I am but I managed to defeat him. The fight was pretty close nevertheless. It could have turned out in a different way if he would have used the runes tattooed on his hands and engraved in his runeblades."

"Runeblade _s_? Plural?"

"Yes, plural. He possessed Drak'tar and Worldender. I only defeated him because I managed to trick him. I rammed a knife made of holy light in his chest and then..." Kelrian paused. He wished he could tell Sylvanas about the vision he had seen. He wished he could tell her that there was a way to bring her back to life. He wished he could tell her that they could have another child if everything would turn out well. But he couldn't. No matter how badly he wanted it, he couldn't tell her the truth.

He had promised the naaru to keep it secret and he would keep this promise. He didn't know the consequences of telling Sylvanas about the vision nor did he want to give her any false hopes. He didn't want to see the disappointment on her face if the vision wouldn't become reality. He wanted to protect her, so he had to withhold that information from her. It wasn't exactly lying but it still felt for him as if he would lie to her. He hated that feeling but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to keep this information secret.

"And then what?" Sylvanas asked curiously.

"And then he died," Kelrian said after a few moments.

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Kelrian shook his head. "No. I'm good. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure? You seem troubled." A small amount of doubt could be heard in Sylvanas' voice.

Kelrian nodded, putting a hand on her cheek. "I am, sweetheart," he said when he stared into her eyes. That was enough for Sylvanas to believe him. She returned his gaze and stepped on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was not as tall as he had been before his rebirth, so she didn't even need to pull his head down to press her lips on his. He returned the kiss without hesitation and slipped his tongue in her mouth.

Sylvanas' tongue found its way in Kelrian's mouth, licking every reachable spot. The kiss was sweet and passionate, one of the best kisses they had ever shared. Sylvanas was surprised about how long Kelrian was able to hold his breath. He was able to hold the kiss much longer than usual.

Kelrian put both of his hands on her cheeks and ran his thumbs over them while he stared into her crimson eyes. "Your eyes are still so beautiful. So is your face."

Sylvanas smiled, putting one of her hands over one of his. She put the other on his hip. "Thank you. Your eyes are also beautiful. Your eyes have changed so much over the years. They were been sky blue when we met but they became pale blue after Arthas invaded Quel'Thalas. When you went to Outland with your father and Lady Vashj, they became fel green due to the effect of fel energy. Arthas took one of your eyes but Exadius gave you a new one, a golden one. When you were Dreadfist, you had golden irises and fel green eyeballs and now you have pure golden eyes. From all those different eye colours, I prefer your current. Blue looked good too but not as good as golden. You are a very handsome man, my dear."

"And you are a very pretty woman."

"At least Arthas didn't take that from me. At least my good look and the man I love with all my heart have remained."

Kelrian smiled and kissed her again. They parted after several minutes, smiling at each other.

"What happened in my absence?" Kelrian asked after a while.

"Not much. The Scourge is still active in the Plaguelands and Illidan is still trying to gain control of all areas in Outland."

"So you have to divide the available forces by two."

"Exactly. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to deal with both threats in the long run. We must stop Illidan so that we can focus on the Scourge. Arthas has to pay for everything."

Kelrian noticed determination and anger in her eyes. "He will pay, my love. I promise. It's my task to protect Azeroth and Outland from all evil. I have to make sure that Illidan and Arthas will be stopped. But I cannot do it alone. I might be powerful but I doubt I'm able to defeat the Lich King alone, not to mention his undead army."

"Good for you that we have allies. The Alliance has the same interest as we do. They will do anything in their power to stop Illidan and Arthas. There is also the Horde who is pursuing the same goals."

"You are working with the Horde?" Kelrian asked surprised.

"Not really. We have a non-aggression pact with them. We don't attack them and they don't attack us. Alleria would never work with them if there is an alternative. Only if there is no other option, she would seek negotiations with them and try to convince them to work with us," explained the Banshee Queen.

"I don't like orcs and trolls but I have nothing against the tauren. Nevertheless, I would only consider working with them with we have no other choice. I share your sister's opinion."

"So does every other leader of the Alliance. Even _Greymane_."

Kelrian noticed the way she pronounced the name of the king of Gilneas. "You don't seem to like King Greymane," he remarked.

"You course I don't like him. He still regards me and my people as abominations. The way he looks at me...I'm not afraid of him but I hate the way he looks at me. He is the only leader who is not happy that the Forsaken are a member of the Alliance. Even his son accepted us. Liam Greymane is much more tolerant than this old wolf. He is so much smarter than his stupid father."

"As long as Genn doesn't do anything, there is no reason for us to do something about him. Genn is smart enough to not attack your people like the Scarlet Crusade. Genn also knows that the Alliance needs every capable fighter they can get. We lack manpower, so he wouldn't dare to attack your people," replied Kelrian.

Sylvanas nodded. "You are right. Greymane also listens to King Varian. The King of Stormwind trusts us. Especially because we got rid of those traitorous elves who joined the Scourge."

"Dar'Khan and Xenarion."

"Did I ever tell you that it was Lyndia who killed Xenarion?" Sylvanas asked.

"Not that I remember. I'm glad she did. Not only did she avenge herself but also her father. I wish I could have killed him myself but Lyndia deserves it more."

"I miss my brother. More than twenty years have passed since his death but I still think about him from time to time. Seems I'm not fully over his death. after all these years..." Sadness could be seen in her crimson eyes. Kelrian wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "I barely knew him but I know he was a good man. He would have become an excellent ranger like you and your sisters if the orc invasion wouldn't have happened. And if Xenarion wouldn't have betrayed us."

"He was a talented actor and he was very skilled at playing the lute. I loved to dance with my sisters to his songs." A tear ran down her cheek and become dust before Kelrian could wipe it away. "We lost so many members of our families since the Second War. My mother, most of my uncles and aunts, several of my cousins, your older brother and sister. Not to mention your mother and your younger siblings who are probably dead too. We never heard of them again. And then are those who became undead. Turalyon, Uncle Zelastor, Lyndia..."

"And you," Kelrian added, his voice sounded sad suddenly.

"And me..."

Kelrian softly pressed Sylvanas' head against his chest, running his fingers through her hair. He noticed that this helped Sylvanas to calm down, so he continued.

"We will make Arthas pay for everything," he said.

"Yes, we will. I will kill him myself if I can."

"You deserve to give him the fatal blow. But we have a long way before us. Achieving that goal won't be easy."

Sylvanas nodded but said nothing in return.

"How is our son?" Kelrian asked after a while.

"He still doesn't speak but at least he helps us deal with these threats. He is on Outland with Maiev Shadowsong and Shandris Feathermoon. They are in Shadowmoon Valley to reduce Illidan's influence in the area."

"I assume Kaelor is with him."

"He is but Raesh doesn't talk with him either. Kaelor told me that he will be there for him and try to make him talk again."

"Seems we have to be patient with him."

"The doctors said that he is technically able to speak. They think it's purely a matter of the head. Like a blockade or something like that," Sylvanas explained.

"Can we do anything about it?"

Sylvanas shook her head. "The doctors haven't found a solution yet. We have to hope that Kaelor finds a way to help him."

"I see. Let's hope for the best."

Sylvanas nodded but said nothing.

"Any news about the rest of our family?"

"My sisters are fine. I see them very often because they show up in Undercity from time to time to look after me. Not to mention that I see them whenever the leaders of the Alliance meet. Our relationships are still strong. I love them and don't want them to suffer the same fate as I did. My greatest fear is that those I care for will become undead and suffer as I have suffered."

"I will do everything in my power to protect them."

"I also worry about you."

Kelrian caressed her cheek. "I will take care of myself. Promised."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his hand, enjoying the pleasant warmth which was radiated by him.

"What about your father?" Kelrian asked eventually. "I haven't seen him for a while."

"Well... He is still alive and healthy but... The Scourge invasion and the death of my mother changed him. He is no longer the man he once was. He is no longer a businessman because most of his businesses and goods were destroyed during the Third War. But he chose a different profession. A profession he is surprisingly good at."

"Which one?"

"He became an armourer. The weapons and armour pieces created by him are pretty good for elven standards. They might not be as good as the weapons and armours the best dwarven armourers create but they serve their purposes."

"That's good to hear. At least he didn't allow the depression to take him down."

"He is still drinking but he is trying to get away from it. Trying for two years... Not sure if we will be able to achieve his goal."

Worry was reflected by Kelrian's eyes. "I hope he will find a way to control his alcohol consumption."

"I hope so too."

"What about my father?" Kelrian asked. A mix of worry and curiosity could be seen on his face.

"He is still in the Violet Hold."

"So the mages of Dalaran didn't manage to help him?"

Sylvanas shook her head sadly. "They tried but there is nothing they can do for him. The fel made him lose his sanity and we have no idea how it can be restored. There is only one who might know a way. That person knows fel magic better than anyone else we know of."

"Illidan Stormrage."

Sylvanas nodded.

"Let's hope we can make him cooperate when we stop him. Maybe he can help my father."

Sylvanas' eyes showed worry. "I wouldn't count on it if I were you. Do not get your hopes up too high. It is possible that your father will never be the same again."

A sad sigh escaped Kelrian's lips. "I know... I know that the chances are pretty low but they still exist. I hope so at least. I won't stop believing in a miracle, no matter what the others say."

Sylvanas rubbed his cheek gently. "Nobody said you shouldn't have any hopes. I just want to make sure you won't expect this to happen. There is no guarantee that it will happen."

"I know." Kelrian kissed her hands gently and then placed them in his, running his thumbs over their backs. He intertwined their fingers and stared into Sylvanas' beautiful eyes, noticing that she was doing the same. They did nothing except for staring at each other and holding hands for nearly an hour. Both of them had enjoyed the pleasant silence but they weren't disappointed when it eventually ended.

"What will you do now?" Sylvanas asked.

"I must go to Silvermoon as soon as I can."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "You must?"

"I spent my last portion of power for the fight against Dreadfist. I need to recharge my power but it takes too long for my liking if I just wait and rest. There is a way how I can recharge it much faster."

"Recharge your power? How?"

"I have to go to the Sunwell. It will provide me with new power. I have to go to the Sunwell whenever I used all of my reserves."

"Who told you this?"

"The naaru. M'uru to be exact."

Confusion was reflected by Sylvanas' face. "But M'uru was defeated and its shards have been used to reignite the Sunwell."

"I know. That's why I'm able to hear its voice. M'uru is a part of the Sunwell and I can hear it because of my close connection to the Sunwell."

"That makes sense I guess..."

"I know it's hard to believe but that's the truth."

"I believe you, Kel. I know you would never lie to me."

Kelrian didn't avert his gaze, knowing that it would make him look suspicious. Staring into her eyes while not telling her the truth was harder than expected. The urge to tell his wife everything he knew was strong but he managed to control himself.

He hated not being truly honest with her but he had no other choice. He couldn't tell her about the vision he had seen, no matter how badly he wanted to do it. He didn't give in to the urge and said nothing. He felt bad about not telling Sylvanas what he had seen but he knew it was best if he would keep it secret. It was best for everyone.

"Are you sure that nothing is troubling you, honey?" Sylvanas asked when she got closer to him. Her face was only a few inches away from his.

Kelrian nodded. "I was thinking about my father. That's it," he lied.

Sylvanas nodded understandingly. She had bought his lie. "Will you go to Silvermoon today?"

"I would love to but at the same time, I want to spend some time with you. So... I don't know what to do, to be honest."

"We could go to Silvermoon together if you want," offered the Banshee Queen.

"You would come with me? Don't you have a lot of work to do?" he asked surprised.

"I do but that can wait. It's not urgent work and as the ruler of Undercity, I can decide what I will do and when I will do it. If I want to spend some time with my husband, I will do it and no one can stop me. No one can stop me from doing what I want."

Kelrian smiled. "People are too afraid of you to criticise and contradict you."

"That might be true. Anyway, we can go right now if you want." She offered him her hand and he took it without hesitation.

"Sounds like a plan."


	67. Longing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... That just happened. I haven't uploaded for two weeks, which is unusual. I usually upload at least once a week. I was working on different projects and then I had some sort of a writer's block. I think I've overcome it. I hope so at least.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is a little teaser for what will happen in chapter 69. The number should say enough *winking*. If you don't want to read explicit sexual content, you should search for the dividing line and start reading there. I don't want you to read stuff you don't want to, so skip the first part if you don't enjoy reading porn. If you do, I hope you will like it.

The first thing Sylvanas saw when she entered the room was Kelrian sitting on the floor. He sat cross-legged, the palms of his hands formed a triangle and his eyes were closed. His breaths were slow and steady, his chest was rising and falling in a constant rhythm. He wore golden leggings, his muscular upper body was exposed.

"Have you just come to ogle me or do you actually want something from me, Sylvanas?" Kelrian asked mockingly.

"How do you know it's me?" the Banshee Queen asked surprised.

A small smile appeared on Kelrian's lips. "I can feel your aura and I can smell your stench. You smell much different than other Forsaken. Much better."

"How do you know I was examining you? I could have done something else, like reading".

Kelrian's eyes were still closed as soft laughter escaped his lips. "You and reading? You haven't read a book since..."

"Since my death," completed Sylvanas.

Kelrian opened his golden eyes, his gaze fell on Sylvanas' face as he lifted his chin. "Well, I know you pretty well, so I knew that you would do nothing but taking a closer look at my muscles. Admit it."

No blush could be seen on Sylvanas' cheeks nor was she embarrassed. She behaved naturally. "You are right, my love. You know me better than anyone else."

"Even better than your sisters."

"Even better than my sisters. Unlike you, my sisters don't know every spot of my body. They don't know where my _weak points are._ They don't know my _preferences."_ A teasing smirk could be seen on her purple lips.

"You would have a weird relationship if your sisters would know these details. They don't need to know any of these intimidate details. Only you and I should know about them. Verena might know about some too."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Please don't mention my ex when I'm flirting with you."

"You call that flirting?" Kelrian asked amused.

"It was just the beginning," Sylvanas replied and stepped closer to him.

Kelrian got up to his full height and put a hand beneath her chin, staring into her eyes. "I won't stop you then. If I were you, I would skip the part where you flirt with me and go right to the part where you try to seduce me."

"Try to seduce you? I'm not just trying. I will succeed for sure."

Kelrian gave her an amused smile. "Oh really?"

"If you really know me as good as you claim, you should know I always get what I want. Or who I want, in your case."

Kelrian chuckled. "You are right, my love." He put his hands on her hips and pulled her to him, making their bodies touch. He noticed that his heart was beating faster than before and his skin was tingling in excitement. He didn't stop staring into her crimson eyes nor did Sylvanas stop staring into his.

"So you just came to me and interrupted my meditation to tell me that you want to smash me. You are a very naughty girl, Sylvanas."

"Girl? How old am I? Twelve?"

Kelrian chuckled. "Gosh no. Our relationship would be illegal in that case."

"It's still illegal to some people," Sylvanas said quietly.

Kelrian raised a brow. "Because you are undead? There is no law that forbids me to sleep with an undead. Besides you are not a motionless corpse. It's not even necrophilia if you consider all aspects. You are still alive, you are just not _truly_ alive. If you know what I mean. Also, I don't care what others say and think about us. All I care about is your opinion. To hell with the others."

"To hell with the others," Sylvanas repeated with a happy smile on her lips.

"Anyway, where were we?" Kelrian asked.

Sylvanas' smile changed to a teasing grin. "You wanted to tell me how naughty I am."

Kelrian returned her grin and put a hand on her back. "I think you already know how naughty you are. The question is: What do we do about it?"

"What would you like to do about it?" Sylvanas asked in return. A slightly erotic tone could be heard in her low voice.

Kelrian began to remove the black tunic she wore. "I might know a thing or two."

"I'm curious," whispered Sylvanas into his ear.

Kelrian discarded the tunic and let it fall to the floor. His grin became wider as he saw that Sylvanas wore no bra. He wondered whether she wore panties or not. He was looking forward to finding that out. He ran his hands over her bare back, noticing that Sylvanas was enjoying his soft and warm touch.

Sylvanas put kisses on his left ear, running her tongue over its whole length. His ear twitched when her cold tongue licked over it but he didn't feel uncomfortable.

She licked over it again "Do you like that, honey? Do you like it when I lick your long ear? There is something else that is long and that I want to lick so badly." Her voice sounded much more erotic than before. She put her hand on his belly muscles and caressed them for a few moments before she let her hand wander. She sneaked her hand beneath his leggings, feeling the soft silk of his underpants. Her grin became much wider as she touched his semi-stiff sexthrough the silk. "Looks like I have to do something about that."

Kelrian said nothing in return. He just caressed Sylvanas' back with one hand, the other rested on her right hip. Sylvanas started to kiss his neck, her hand caressed the area between his legs. A quiet groan escaped his lips, making Sylvanas smile again. She could feel his sex getting harder and harder with each passing second. She didn't even need to look down to check if it was really hard. She could feel it with her hand. His manhood was stiff and stretched the fabric of his leggings.

Sylvanas pulled on his underpants, sneaking her hand in. She enclosed her hand around the thick member, the corners of her lips formed a wide grin as she heard Kelrian groan again. It had been a long time since she had last touched him with her hands. Her touch was cold as death but pleasant at the same time.

Kelrian had his eyes closed as Sylvanas slowly stroked his manhood with her left hand while she left marks on his neck. Her other hand caressed his toned abs. Kelrian's hands were not idle in the meantime. One hand was cupping Sylvanas' right breast, kneading the soft flesh. The other had found its way in Sylvanas' leggings and caressed her well-formed butt cheeks. As Kelrian had expected, Sylvanas wore no panties. She had chosen to wear no underwear this day because she had expected that Kelrian wouldn't say no to her.

His appearance might have changed several times and even his character had changed from time to time but a certain aspect had never changed over the years. Kelrian could not resist Sylvanas. He had never been able to resist her when she had been alive and he couldn't even resist her in her undead form. She was way too sexy, even as an undead.

Seeing her semi-nude form had made Kelrian horny enough to feel no desire to refuse her. If she would take off all of her clothes... Kelrian couldn't guarantee anything. There was no way he would not make love to Sylvanas if she would be totally naked.

Sylvanas stopped kissing and licking his neck eventually, a satisfied grin appeared on her lips as observed the numerous biting marks which will soon turn into love-bites. If he would not cover them, everyone would be able to see them for a few days at least. She had successfully marked her territory, telling any other women that he was already spoken for.

She knew she didn't need to do that because everyone knew that Kelrian was hers and she was his but she loved to do it nevertheless. The only ones who wouldn't be pleased to see them were Nathanos and Verena. She knew they still loved her but they had to deal with it. They had to come to terms with the idea that they would never have her. They had to one day.

Sylvanas continued to stroke Kelrian's sex and used the other hand to pull his leggings and his underpants down, smiling as she saw the huge thing for the first time since a while. She licked her lips in anticipation and enclosed her other hand around his dick, stroking it slowly with both hands. She lifted her chin, staring in Kelrian's eyes which were open again. He returned her gaze, pleasure was reflected by his facial features. He was biting his bottom lip softly, his eyes reflected desire. Quiet moans could be heard from time to time, making Sylvanas much hornier than she already was.

She felt a warm hand moving down her ass, a low moan escaped her lips as soft and warm fingers gently brushed over her southern lips. She was really wet down there and his touch made it even worse. Kelrian kissed her ear gently. "I like it when you are so wet down there. It makes entering you much easier," he whispered. He rubbed her pussy lips with two fingers, not daring to enter her yet. He wanted to tease her for a little longer and make her much hornier before he would do the next step. He didn't want to give her what she desired yet. He was testing her patience.

Sylvanas' moans became louder, her skin began to tingle in excitement. Kelrian knew exactly what he had to do satisfy her and Sylvanas knew what she had to do. She knew he loved it when she gave him a handjob. He also loved it when she took his dick in her mouth and gave him a blowjob but she didn't do that yet. She would do it later for sure but not yet. She wanted to rub his dick a little longer because she loved having such a thick thing in her hand. There were many spots where she wanted to have it but as the patient person she was, she continued with the foreplay instead of inserting it where she wanted it the most.

Kelrian's moans became much louder and more frequent when she started to stroke his dick faster. Her eyes didn't stop staring into his, none of them stopped with their actions. After some time, Sylvanas felt Kelrian's thumb pressing on her clit. She bit her bottom lip, hoping that would be enough to suppress any of her moans. Nonetheless, quiet groans could be heard. It was impossible for Sylvanas to not show how much she enjoyed what her husband was doing. Kelrian was well aware that she enjoyed it.

He had caressed her pussy lips long enough to be able to enter her sex with one finger but he didn't because he had something else in mind. He removed his fingers from her southern lips and pulled his hand out of her leggings. He didn't miss the disappointment which could be seen in Sylvanas' eyes for a short moment nor did he miss the curious look on her face as he removed his other hand from her breast. He put his hands on her shoulders, lowering his gaze for a short moment. Sylvanas understood what he meant and lowered her body, getting on her knees.

Kelrian put one of his hands on the back of her head, slowly guiding it to the spot where he wanted it to be. He pressed the tip of his cock against her lips, smiling when Sylvanas' tongue came out to lick the precum off his glans. His other hand caressed her cheek, his gaze still rested on her beautiful face.

Sylvanas didn't hesitate to open her mouth and allowed Kelrian to slowly insert his cock. She licked his manhood with her tongue, taking special care of his glans which was very sensitive. The corners of her lips formed a smile as his moans became louder again. He pushed more of his dick in her mouth, his hand caressed the back of her head. He even pulled on her hair from time to time, knowing that Sylvanas didn't mind the small amount of pain he was causing that way. When it came to sex, her pain tolerance was much higher than most creatures. She didn't mind feeling pain as long as she received pleasure in return.

It was not her who received pleasure at the moment but she didn't mind that either. She knew Kelrian would make her feel good later, so she allowed him to pull on her hair. Sucking his dick might not make her feel good but she still enjoyed it. Having his whole dick in her mouth made her much wetter than before, her nipples were rock hard and desired to be touched, the same counted for her _fruit_. The tingling of her clit became stronger the longer she orally pleasured the man she loved. She tried to hold out and keep her hands still but at some point, she was no longer able to do that.

One hand touched her left breast and kneaded her erected purple nipple, the other caressed her wet folds and applied pressure on her clit. She was rubbing herself while giving her husband a blowjob. Kelrian's eyes were no longer open, so he could not see what she was doing but from the sounds he heard, he could assume that was going on. He was aware that Sylvanas was pleasuring herself and he had no problem with that.

As expected, Sylvanas was very good at using her mouth to pleasure him. No woman he had ever known was so good in deepthroating. Sylvanas was better in every aspect than any of his lovers before her. They were no match for Sylvanas.

Kelrian noticed after several minutes that he would reach his climax soon- He knew he would come in her mouth if she would continue. Normally, he would love to fill her mouth with his cum but this time he had different plans. He pulled his dick out of his lover's mouth and held it in front of her face. He stroked it a few times, smiling as Sylvanas removed her hand from her breast and replaced his. She rubbed his dick with one hand while three fingers of her other hand were inside her pussy and caressed her inner walls. Kelrian enjoyed watching Sylvanas fingering herself.

The Banshee Queen didn't need long to bring Kelrian over the edge. His eyes were closed, his head was tilted backwards and his lips were parted as a loud moan, followed by his wife's name, left his mouth. He opened his eyes after his dick had stopped twitching in Sylvanas' hand, his gaze fell on her. A satisfied smile could be seen on her lips, her face and her breasts were covered in cum. Not even her hair had been spared.

Kelrian regarded Sylvanas for a few moments before he went to his knees and cleaned her face and breasts with handkerchiefs. He said nothing while he did that nor did Sylvanas. A teasing grin could be seen on her lips as she regarded him cleaning her. "It has been a long time since I had cum in my face. I think the last time you released your load on me was before the fall of Quel'Thalas."

Kelrian smirked but said nothing, caressing her chin. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to lean over and press her lips on his, making him taste himself. It felt weird to him but he didn't dare to interrupt the kiss. He inserted his tongue in her mouth, allowing her to do the same. His heart was beating much faster than before as they shared a sweat and passionate tongue kiss. Kelrian was breathless as he pulled away, his hands immediately wandered to her face again. He stared into her eyes as he caressed her cheeks, her chin and even her ears which tips were very stiff. Another sign that Sylvanas was very aroused.

One hand rested on her face, the other began to wander. It squeezed her left breast for a short moment and then wandered to her stomach. He caressed the scar left by Frostmourne before he guided his hand further down, reaching her hips. His hand found its way between her thighs and was greeted by wet aroused pussy lips. They were swollen and highly sensitive as always when Sylvanas was horny.

Sylvanas' body slightly trembled when Kelrian parted her vaginal lips and inserted a finger. Only one of his fingers felt so much better than three of her fingers together. Fingering herself was not nearly as good as getting fingered by the man she loved for more than two decades. Not even in the slightest. The intensity of the pleasure he caused by using only one finger was on a whole new level compared to the pleasure she got from masturbating. There were worlds apart.

Sylvanas was not able to prevent herself from crying out in pleasure as Kelrian inserted a second finger and began to rub both fingers against her inner walls. Sylvanas tried to keep her eyes open as long as possible but when he added a third finger, she was no longer able to do that. The pleasure he was causing was too intense. She tilted her head back, the melody of moans that escaped her lips was fast and didn't seem to end. He made her feel indescribably good. The pleasure was almost too much for her.

She felt soft lips on her right nipple, teeth that were biting the stiff nub. Kelrian was sucking on her breast while fingering her, bringing her climax closer and closer. Just as she noticed that she would reach her climax very soon, she heard loud knocks at the door. She ignored them and focused on the pleasure she felt but the knocks became louder. She was no longer able to ignore them and drown them out. "This can't be real," Sylvanas cursed silently.

"Chosen One, are you in there?" asked a strange voice. Neither Kelrian nor Sylvanas answered. Kelrian didn't even stop pleasuring his wife, hoping that the creature would leave them at peace if they would not answer them.

The voice asked for him again.

Kelrian removed his lips from Sylvanas' nipple. "I'm busy," he shouted.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but the Regent Lady requires your presence. It's urgent."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes, muttering something unintelligible. It was clearly visible that she was annoyed.

"How much time we have?" Kelrian asked.

"The Regent Lady wants to see you as soon as possible."

"Tell her we will come."

Kelrian pulled his hand out of Sylvanas' womanhood, kissing her cheek softly before he got up. "I hope you will finish what you started later," Sylvanas said as she got up and put on her clothes. She regarded herself in a hand mirror, making sure that her hair sat and no cum stuck on her skin.

Kelrian stepped to her once he was finished getting dressed and put his hands on her hips, caressing them. He kissed her temple. "Don't worry, my love. When we will have time again, I will make you scream my name when I fill your needy pussy until my cum leaks out."

Sylvanas smirked. "I like hearing that."

Kelrian slapped her ass. "Come, Sylvanas. We should go and find out what your sister wants from us this time."

* * *

Sylvanas took his hand and intertwined their fingers. She pecked him on the lips, staring into his eyes for a few moments before she walked with him to the door and left the room. They passed several guards when they went through the corridor that brought them to their destination.

They stood in front of the double doors of the conference roomthat was guarded by six guards who wore the same type of red-golden armour like the guards in the corridor. They saluted to the couple who gave them appreciating nods. They didn't need to wait long until the double doors were pushed open and they were allowed to enter the room.

As expected, several familiar creatures stood around the large wooden table in the middle of the room. All leaders of the Alliance were gathered, even Greymane who gave Sylvanas an ill look. The look on his son's face was neutral, as expected. But it was not Liam who greeted them first. It was Alleria.

"I'm glad you made it." The pitch of her voice and the look on her face told the couple that the matter they would discuss was a serious one. Something bad must have happened or might happen according to the grim look on Alleria's beautiful face.

"What happened?" Sylvanas asked her sister as she stepped next to Varian.

"Well, nothing really happened but something will happen for sure the next few days. Whitemane returned to the Scarlet Monastery and the army she gathered is not so small. I have no idea where she gathered so many men."

"How many men does she have?"

"Our spies suggest that she has at least five thousand men."

Sylvanas' eyes widened. "Five thousand? Where did she get them? The last time we had to deal with the Scarlet Crusade, we reduced their numbers to a few hundred."

Alleria shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Are all her warriors humans, or did she also managed to manipulate other races to join her cause?" Kelrian asked.

"The army is mixed. There are lots of humans but also draenei, dwarves and even blood elves."

"How is that possible? The sin'dorei would never fight the Forsaken and Sylvanas."

"I have no idea, to be honest. I was as surprised as you when I heard that."

A thoughtful look could be seen on Kelrian's face when his gaze fell on Sylvanas whose reaction was similar to his.

"We fear that Whitemane didn't convince those men on her own. We think she had help," said Varian.

"Help? By who?" Sylvanas asked, a small amount of anger could be heard in her voice but her face didn't show any signs of anger.

"Our first assumption is the dreadlord who infiltrated the Scarlet Crusade. The one who pretends to be their leader," Jaina responded.

Kelrian's gaze fell on the blonde mage. "Balnazzar?" he asked disbelievingly.

Jaina nodded.

"He swore to help us. He is our ally. How do you come to this assumption?"

Tyrande was the one who responded to him. "He might have sworn to help us but we know from experience that demons are not very trustworthy, especially dreadlords. I have been fighting demons for thousands of years, so believe me when I tell you that I have never met a demon who kept their word."

"Exadius kept his word."

"He might have assisted us but we cannot be sure that he wouldn't have turned against us sooner or later. Even if he wouldn't have, he is only one of few. Most demons are vile creatures who do anything necessary to achievetheir selfish goals. They kill, they lie and they don't care how many lives they destroy with their actions," the night elf replied sharply.

Kelrian was wondering if Tyrande's opinion would have been different if Illidan wouldn't have turned insane after Arthas defeated him in Northrend six years ago. He assumed that she would have said that not all demons were untrustworthy if Illidan would still be on their side. Nevertheless, he had to admit that she had a point.

"I just don't see a reason why Balnazzar should work with Whitemane. He told me and Exadius that he wants to make the Legion pay for what they did to his people. He wanted to help to free all nathrezim from the Legion's influence. By fighting us, he achieves the entire opposite," replied Kelrian.

"Seems that Exadius' death caused him to change his mind," said Rhonin.

"Do you have any evidence that Balnazzar is the one who helped Whitemane?"

Rhonin shook his head. "No, we don't. It's just an assumption."

"I don't think it matters who helped her. We can think about that once we stopped her and her army," said Varian.

Kelrian frowned. "Five thousand are a lot... Many of our soldiers will die if the Scarlet Crusade attacks us. We cannot allow losing too many of our men. The Scourge and Illidan are still causing problems and we need every soldier we have to defeat them. We should avoid fighting Whitemane's army."

"Does anyone have any ideas of how we should proceed?" asked Varian.

"Why don't we let the Forsaken fight the Scarlet Crusade on their own? It's their fight, not ours. The Scarlet Crusade wants them dead and not the other races of the Alliance. I don't see why my men should die for her cause." Greymane pointed his finger at Sylvanas who gave him a sinister look.

King Varian intervened before Sylvanas could spat hateful words at the worgen king. "The Forsaken are a part of the Alliance just like your kingdom, Genn. They will support you if your kingdom will be attacked, so you have to help them too. Also, not only the Forsaken are involved in this matter. The Sin'dorei will also be targeted because they will help the Forsaken for sure. Basically, all of us will be targeted by that insane inquisitor."

"If this agreement doesn't suit you, you can leave the Alliance but keep in mind that no one will help you in case the Scourge will invade your kingdom," said Kelrian.

Greymane's eyes narrowed, the anger in them was clearly visible but he said nothing nor did he do anything despite the fact that he looked like he was ready to jump on Kelrian and Sylvanas and tear their heads off.

"We don't need to spill any unnecessary blood if we capture Whitemane before she can start her campaign. We should capture Balnazzar too. Just in case," said Malfurion.

"We can release him later if it turns out that he is indeed innocent, which I highly doubt," replied his wife.

"I assume you suggest that a small group should sneak into the Scarlet Monastery and kidnaps Whitemane and Balnazzar."

"You are right about that, Kelrian," responded Tyrande.

"I have been there before so I should go for sure. Danara was there too but I'm not sure if you want her to come with me."

"I prefer that we don't work with demons in general. I don't trust any demon."

The frown on Kelrian's forehead was unmistakable. "Very well. I will gather up a team. Tell those who are fit for this job to report to me."

"We will," replied the high priestess.


	68. Angel and Devil

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" a familiar voice asked. Kelrian averted his gaze from the four creatures that were not far away from him to look at his wife.

"I am," he said to her. "You said yourself that you have to look after Undercity, not to mention that the soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade are specialized in fighting the undead. I saw what priests and paladins can do to undead creatures with the help of the holy light. They can kill average undead creatures within mere seconds."

"I'm not an average undead creature," Sylvanas threw in.

Kelrian put a hand on her cheek. "I know, my love. But they can hurt you pretty badly if they hit you and I don't want you to get hurt."

"IF they hit me," repeated Sylvanas.

Kelrian chuckled. "I'm not scared that you might get hurt because I know how good you are. I have nothing against you joining us but I think we won't need your help. Besides, the smaller our group is, the smaller the chances that we get caught are. Those who come with me are not inexperienced, so you don't have to worry about me."

Sylvanas put a hand over Kelrian's and caressed it. "I'm not worried, I just don't want to be away from you... again. We just reunited and you are already leaving me... again." Sadness was reflected by her eyes.

Kelrian leaned in to place a soft kiss on Sylvanas' lips. "I won't be away for long. We will capture Whitemane and Balnazzar and then we will return. You don't need to be worried, my dear."

Sylvanas nodded. "I'm not really worried, I just hate being away from you. Whenever you go, I pray to the Sunwell that you return unharmed. I always fear that you may be kidnapped or away for months or years. You were often away from me. Too often for my liking."

Kelrian wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her closer, making their bodies touch. "I understand your fears but I assure you that I won't be away so long this time. I'm much stronger than before. I can take care of myself. There are also four persons with me who I trust. They are skilful and experienced fighters who won't let me down. I'm sure that we will handle a crazy fanatic and a dreadlord who might or might not have betrayed us."

Sylvanas averted her gaze to look at Kelrian's companions. "I put my faith in you. Don't you dare to return without him."

"Don't worry, Sylvanas. We will keep an eye on him. We can't allow the Chosen to fall in the hands of these fanatics," replied the night elf warrioress.

"Have you ever fought the Scarlet Crusade before, Velsana?"

The tall night elf shook her head. "No, I haven't but I'm not worried at all. I trust my abilities and the abilities of my comrades. I'm sure we will be successful. I'm sure that Balnazzar is far more dangerous than the High Inquisitor but I'm experienced in fighting demons. I fought by Tyrande's side for thousands of years. We brought down demons who were much more powerful than this Balnazzar."

"I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you. He is not a weakling," replied Sylvanas.

"She is not underestimating him, aren't you, my love?" Vissia asked her lover. Velsana's gaze fell on the petite rogue next to her. "Of course not," she replied and wrapped her arm around her lover's shoulders. "I will be careful and give everything to defeat that dreadlord."

Sylvanas regarded the night elf couple for a few moments before she averted her gaze and looked at the two paladins that stood not far away from them. "What about you? Are you ready?"

"I cannot speak for Marcus but I am ready," responded Liadrin.

"I'm ready too," said Marcus. "I have never met this Balnazzar but I'm sure we can defeat him. The holy light is our best weapon against demons and three of us are able to use it. I'm positive."

"I'm sure Kelrian is strong enough to defeat Balnazzar alone but I doubt the dreadlord will be alone. Who knows how many fanatics are around him," said Liadrin.

"Probably a lot," responded her cousin. "But they won't stop us."

"We have the Chosen at our side, so what could go wrong?" asked Marcus.

Kelrian looked at him. "I might be the Chosen but I'm not immortal. I can bleed just like any other creature. The worst we can do is to get cocky. We should take every enemy seriously. Demons are still deadly creatures."

Marcus nodded. "You are right. We should take everything seriously. I'm sorry."

Kelrian said nothing in return and merely nodded his head. His gaze wandered to Sylvanas who was still pressing her body against his. He pressed a kiss on her temple and put his hands on her hips. "I will return to you as soon as I can."

"I miss you already," replied Sylvanas. She stepped on her tiptoes and sealed her lips on his, inserting her tongue when his lips parted. She didn't mind that the others were still watching them when she deepened the kiss. She noticed the desire that built up in her body and the tingling of her skin. She noticed the tingling of the area between her legs which was much stronger than the tingling that affected the rest of her body.

She would pounce on him at the very moment if she could. The desire was so strong but she was still able to control herself. Her body protested but she didn't cross the line. She knew that Kelrian had to go, she hated it but there was nothing she could do about it. She had to let him go. All she could do was hope that he would return soon.

She knew he could take care of himself, especially because he had become so much stronger over the past year. She knew she didn't have to be worried about him but she was worried nevertheless. A lot of unexpected things had happened over the past years. Sylvanas would have never imagined that Kael'thas would capture Kelrian and turn him into a demon. Neither would she have ever imagined that Kelrian would make a pact with a demon and be away for nearly five years. She was afraid that something unexpected would happen this time even though she knew how powerful he was.

She was glad that he wouldn't go alone. If it was up to her, she would join him but she knew he was right about everything he had said. She had a city to run not to mention that it was best for her to avoid fighting paladins and priests. The light was the strongest weapon against undead and demons. The holy light was her greatest weakness. That and her love for Kelrian. She wouldn't know what to do if someone would use Kelrian to blackmail her. For example, if the Scarlet Crusade would manage to capture him. She would probably give in. She could only hope that this case would never occur.

Kelrian pressed a soft kiss on her right ear, knowing that this always comforted her, when he noticed the worried expression on his wife's face. As expected, the worry vanished and her expression became neutral. Sylvanas wrapped her arms around Kelrian's shoulders and pulled him into a passionate and long-lasting kiss. She brought her lips to his ear once the kiss ended. "If you are away for too long again, I will _punish_ you the next time we are alone. Don't you dare to be away longer than a few days."

Kelrian smirked. "I'll try my best."

Sylvanas said nothing and only stared into Kelrian's eyes, stepping away after several minutes. Her gaze fell on the portal that had been created for Kelrian's group. "You should go now."

Kelrian put his hand beneath her chin and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "I will see you soon, my love."

"I'm certain you will be successful. Be careful."

"I will." Kelrian kissed her quickly and ran his hands over her back before he stepped away from her and walked towards the portal. He waited until the night elves and the paladins had stepped through the portal and then did the same, closing the portal behind him.

Kelrian checked his surroundings quickly, sighing out in relief when he noticed that they had come out in the right place. They were in a forest that was not far away from the Scarlet Monastery. They were very close to the edge of the forest so that they were already able to see the impressive building from their spot.

The Scarlet Monastery had not changed over the past year. It was still massive and still guarded by lots of soldiers who wore red armour and white tabards on which their symbol could be seen. A red flame. The only difference Kelrian noticed was that a lot more soldiers were stationed around the building and were patrolling around.

Walking through the main entrance was impossible. They were too many soldiers so that they wouldn't be able to fight their way to the entrance. They had to enter the building in stealth.

"What is the plan?" Marcus asked.

Kelrian showed him a shimmering circular-shaped object. "This artefact will hide us. As long as we don't bump in any soldier, no one will notice us. We will even be able to speak without them hearing us as long as we remain in the dome created by the artefact."

"How big is the radius?" Vissia asked.

"Not that big. We have to stick together closely. Anyone who will step in the dome will be able to see us so we have to avoid any soldier," Kelrian explained.

"Is there anything else we have to keep in mind?" asked Velsana.

Kelrian shook his head. "No. That's all you need to know."

"I am ready."

"So am I," replied Vissia.

Kelrian looked at Marcus and Liadrin, receiving nods from them. Kelrian activated the object after his companions had stepped to him. The dome was big enough to include all five of them and there was even a little space left so they could make a few steps to the side without leaving the dome. Their freedom to move was limited.

"Let's go," announced Kelrian and began to move. His group followed him without hesitation.

They left the forest and walked up the path that led to the Scarlet Monastery, avoiding every patrol that came near them and threatened to discover them. They came to the entrance which was heavily guarded. Fortunately for them, the distance between the two groups of guards was large enough so that they were able to enter the building without having to distract the guards somehow. They walked through the first corridor carefully, they even had to stop from time to time to let a group of soldiers pass. There were lots of guards in the corridor but they managed to pass it eventually.

The second corridor was not as heavily guarded as the first one. They spotted six guards in total. Two paladins, two mages and two warriors. Not even the mages noticed the presence of Kelrian's group which crossed the corridor without troubles.

They came to a great hall which was heavily guarded. Too many creatures were there and the distances between them were not large enough for the dome. "Seems we have a little problem," said Marcus. "There is no way how we get to the other side undetected if these guards do not move."

"I could teleport us to another room but I'm afraid that the mages might notice the use of a teleportation spell. They will be sure that someone is here and they will alarm the others," replied Kelrian.

"We cannot allow them to notice our presence. We need to find another solution," said Velsana.

"Do you have any ideas about what we could do?" Liadrin asked the warrior.

Velsana shook her head. "Not now but I'm thinking about it."

Everyone thought about it but none of them came to an idea which would work for sure. "Seems we have no other choice than teleport to a different room," said Marcus.

"I have no doubt that the wards the Scarlet Crusade put in lots of places will prevent anyone from teleporting into the building from the outside but I don't think they prevent anyone inside the building from teleporting to another room," replied Kelrian.

Liadrin looked at him. "I think we should try it. The guards have not moved much in the past twenty minutes and I doubt they will move soon."

Kelrian sighed. "Fine, I will prepare the spell. Let's hope these mages will not notice anything. We have a big problem if they do."

The others watched him while he prepared the spell but also their surroundings. It took him nearly twenty minutes but he managed to complete it without getting interrupted. It seemed that no mage had noticed him channelling the spell, so he could only hope that no one will notice the spell's effect.

The spell brought them into another room. A room which was unexpectedly brightly lit. Kelrian's narrowed eyes reflected surprise and mistrust. "This is not the room I have wanted to bring us. Something went wrong."

"Where are we?" asked Vissia when she turned her head to check the surroundings.

"You are in the Great Hall of the Scarlet Monastery," shouted a not so strange but angry voice. "And you won't leave it alive."

Everyone turned their head in the direction where the voice came from. Their eyes widened when they spotted High Inquisitor Sally Whitemane. But she was not alone. Next to her stood a nathrezim in the disguise of Saidan Dathrohan and several strong looking soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade.

"Balnazzar. That explains a lot. Seems we were not wrong about the assumption that you are the one who helped Whitemane. Have you already forgotten the oath of fealty you made?" Kelrian asked the dreadlord.

"I swore an oath to Exadius and not to you or the Alliance. Exadius is dead, so I have no reason to stay loyal to you and your pathetic Alliance. You won't be able to free my people from the Legion. That dream died when your bastard of a son slew my king," Balnazzar snarled.

"You want vengeance, don't you?"

"Vengeance is not the only thing I desire. I have a new goal, I made new alliances. If you think you can stop me," he paused and looked at Whitemane before he continued. "Stop us, then you are wrong."

"Didn't you want to avenge your deceased wife and children, Balnazzar? How do you want to achieve that goal if you fight us? We want to stop the Scourge and the Legion. I promised Exadius to help him kill Kil'jaeden. He might be dead but I still intend to keep my promise. His daughter stepped in his footsteps and will do everything in her power to achieve her father's goal."

"Nobody cares about her, no nathrezim at least. My people had loved their king but Danara was not very popular. She did a lot of questionable things even before the Legion claimed our world. No nathrezim will follow her, so there is no way we can defeat Kil'jaeden under her lead."

Kelrian looked at Whitemane whose red eyes reflected anger. "And you think she will help you to achieve that goal? She might be a strong priestess but she is not strong enough to pose a threat to Kil'jaeden. She is a maniac who is not aware of the consequences of her dumb decisions."

"Don't listen to that corpse fucker," Whitemane spat.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Corpse fucker?"

"Don't listen to her insults," said Liadrin calmly.

Kelrian looked at her. "I won't. I know that arguing with her is pointless." He looked at Whitemane again who was even angrier than before. "Is there anything else you have to say?"

"You are a servant of the light, you should stay away from these disgusting rotting creatures. You should purge them but instead, you screw their leader... Or allow their leader to screw you. Either that whore is too powerful or you are too weak. I can't believe that she managed to bewitch you. You are not worthy to be the light's Chosen One. You are an imposter. A false prophet. You lied to everyone and made them believe you are the will of the light. They think you will protect them but all you do is deceive them. You give them false hopes while you copulate with that evil witch."

Kelrian frowned, his head was tilted and one of his brows was raised. "Do you seriously believe that your words have any meaning for me? Unlike you, I have the naaru behind me who gave me their power and support me whenever they can. Who do you have behind you despite this second-rate demon?"

"Second-rate demon?" Balnazzar roared angrily. "How dare you call me this."

Whitemane's eyes fell on the demon, a warning look could be seen on her face but Balnazzar didn't pay her any attention. His furious eyes rested on the Chosen whose facial expression was neutral.

"Well, you are one, aren't you? The first person that comes in everyone's mind when they think about the nathrezim is Mal'Ganis. He is the most famous...Well, infamous nathrezim. Then come Exadius and Tichondrius. The former ruler and the current ruler. You, on the other hand, are unimportant compared to them. The Alliance knows your name but they also know the story of Sylvanas wiping the floor with you. Even Varimathras is more known than you. He was also the one who killed you, wasn't he? He must be pretty strong if he managed to kill you so easily."

Balnazzar made a few steps forward. His face was distorted in anger and his fists were clenched.

"Stay back, Balnazzar," shouted the High Inquisitor. Her voice sounded demanding but the dreadlord didn't listen to her. Instead of staying back and keeping a cool head, he got closer to the group.

"STAY BACK!" Whitemane shouted again. Her voice was much louder this time.

"You should listen to your mistress," said Marcus.

"SHE IS NOT MY MISTRESS, YOU FILTHY HUMAN. I'M MY OWN MASTER!"

Marcus smirked. "Are you?"

Saidan Dathrohan's body fell to the floor and remained there motionless. Balnazzar appeared next to it in all his glory. His skin was pale, his eyes were fel green and his wings and armour were purple. He had not changed since the last time Kelrian had seen him.

The nathrezim roared as he jumped and landed not far away from the human paladin. A sword appeared out of nowhere which the dreadlord grabbed without hesitation. He charged at Marcus who managed to parry his attack at the last moment. Balnazzar struck again, making the human stagger. He swung his sword again and would have badly wounded Marcus if Kelrian wouldn't have blocked the attack with his sword.

"Keep Whitemane and her followers busy, I will handle this traitor," Kelrian said to the others. They didn't hesitate to follow his order and spread out.

Balnazzar snarled. "You are a fool if you think that you can defeat me alone."

Kelrian said nothing in return and just swung his sword. Balnazzar dodged the attack and even managed to parry the second but he was not able to avoid the third which cut through his armour and left a not-so-deep cut in his chest. The wound was only small but the nathrezim's facial features were still distorted in pain. He had been wounded by a weapon blessed by the naaru. The effect of the holy light was strong. It hurt like acid.

"What is this... bullshit... How... can a small cut cause so much... pain..." Balnazzar managed to express between painful cries.

"The holy light is my strongest ally. It's the best weapon against demons like you. Especially ordinary demons are very effected by its touch."

"I...am...no...ordinary...demon...," his opponent hissed.

Kelrian smirked. "Prove it."

"I will sunder the filth of your form," yelled Balnazzar when he charged at Kelrian again. The sin'dorei remained cool and swung his sword. He did not only block his opponent's attack but he also destroyed his weapon in the process. Balnazzar's eyes widened, doubt and surprise were reflected by them when he realized that half of the blade was missing. It laid not far away from him on the stone floor.

"That's... impossible," he hissed. Kelrian grabbed the wrist that held the weapon, his mere touch inflicted pain to the demon, causing him to drop the sword. Balnazzar tried to free himself but Kelrian's grip was too strong and too painful. The never-ending pain weakened the nathrezim who tried to hit Kelrian with his other hand. Kelrian avoided his attempts successfully, kicking him in the stomach.

Balnazzar's movements stopped as the pain stunned him. He spat blood out, his gaze still rested on his opponent. Doubt was reflected by them. But the doubt was quickly replaced by fear. Balnazzar was paralyzed and Kelrian could kill him at this very moment but he didn't. He knew that Balnazzar will be brought to the Twisting Nether and return one day, so killing him now was pointless. He was more worth as a prisoner than as a spirit trapped in the Twisting Nether.

Instead of killing him, Kelrian hit him hard on the head, causing him to collapse. He had successfully knocked him out. He regarded the defeated dreadlord for a few moments before he turned his attention to his group. They were struggling with Whitemane and her fanatical followers. Several soldiers were dead but there were still enough of them. Velsana and Vissia were fighting against five soldiers, three soldiers kept Marcus busy and Liadrin had to deal with Whitemane, a paladin and a warrior at the same time.

Kelrian was certain they wouldn't be able to deal with them alone, so he didn't hesitate to come to their aid. He rammed a soldier and prevented him from thrusting his sword in Vissia's back, causing him to fall to the ground. He thrust his sword through the soldier's chest, killing him before he could get up.

He was attacked by another soldier but he avoided her attack and landed a kick in her stomach, causing her to stagger. The female human managed to catch herself but she didn't get the chance to attack Kelrian again. Vissia had thrust her daggers in the woman's neck and pushed her to the ground before she could have tried anything. The soldier was too weak to get up and do anything. She just laid there, her hands covered the wounds in her neck but she was not able to stop the bleeding. She died a few seconds later.

Velsana had killed a draenei warrior in the meantime, meaning that only two of the five soldiers, who had tried to kill the couple, were left. They held out longer than expected and even managed to wound the kaldorei women but they had been killed in the end. Velsana's and Vissia's wounds were not mortal and not really huge but they were still causing pain. Kelrian could clearly see that in their glowing eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kelrian asked.

"I am," responded Vissia.

He looked at Velsana who gave him a reply quickly. "I am fine too. We can treat our wounds when we are done fighting. We have to help the others first."

"I will help Liadrin."

"Then we will help Marcus," the couple said and rushed to him. Kelrian didn't hesitate to run to his cousin, creating a thin golden barrier around her. The barrier blocked a few hits, allowing Liadrin to prepare an attack. She managed to cut off the warrior's weapon hand and then rammed her elbow in his jaw, silencing his painful screams for a few moments. The paladin attacked her but she managed to block it with her shield. She pushed him away and gave Kelrian the signal that she was fine before she attacked the warrior again.

Kelrian knew that Liadrin was capable to deal with these two soldiers, so he went over to Whitemane whose face still reflected anger. "It's not too late to surrender, High Inquisitor."

The white-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "I will never surrender, especially not to you, corpse fucker." Her voice was full of venom, her facial expression reflected disgust.

"I don't want to kill you, Whitemane. But I will if I have no other choice. Surrender and I will spare your life. I cannot guarantee that you will survive this encounter if you refuse."

"I rather die than surrender to a hypocrite who claims to be the Light's Chosen but mates with evil in person."

Kelrian lifted his sword. "Last chance, Whitemane."

"I will not subjugate to a false prophet. You cannot be the Chosen One. The Chosen One would never choose an evil whore like Sylvanas Windrunner as his mate. Also, there is also no way a filthy elf like you can be the Chosen One. Only a human is fit for this role."

"You mean yourself, don't you?"

"Of course, I mean myself," shouted Whitemane. "I'm the only one fit for this role. I'm the only one who knows the true will of the light. I'm the only one who can cleanse this world from all evil. I'm the only one who has the guts to attack Sylvanas Windrunner and her foul servants. I will not stop until I have her ugly head on a spike but first, I will bring her yours. I'm looking forward to seeing the expression on her ugly face. Shock, mourn, panic and fear. I will end her worthless existence after I'm done with you."

Kelrian shook his head and sprinted forward, taking a swing with his sword. Whitemane reacted quickly and swung her staff, causing their weapons to meet half-way. Steel jangled but neither of the weapons gave in when their owners tried to push them to their opponents. Kelrian was surprised about Whitemane's strength. Not only had she blocked his attack but she also managed to keep his sword away from her by pushing her staff against it.

She did not have exceptionally pronounced arm muscles but she still managed to make sure that their weapons didn't move closer to her. She was much stronger than she looked like and Kelrian had no doubt that Balnazzar had something to do with it. He was sure that the demon made her stronger somehow.

Kelrian noticed quickly that it was pointless to try to push his sword to Whitemane, so he pulled it back and swung it again. Whitemane managed to block it but her movements were slower than before. Kelrian's sword was much closer to Whitemane than the previous time.

He pulled his sword back and struck again. Against his expectation, Whitemane didn't block it this time and jumped backwards, increasing the distance between them. Kelrian created a sphere of light, throwing it at the inquisitor who created a barrier around her body which absorbed the sphere but dissolved in the process. Kelrian noticed quickly that fighting fire with fire was not useful in this situation. Whitemane managed to neutralise his light spells with hers. He had to defeat her the old-fashioned way.

He ran to her and executed a swing with his sword, causing Whitemane to jump to the side to avoid it. He swung his sword again and his opponent blocked it with her staff. This time it was Whitemane's turn to attack but Kelrian ducked beneath her swing, noticing the small cracks in the middle part of the staff when it missed his face by a few inches. Whitemane might have been able to block his attacks so far but her weapon had been damaged in the process. There was a chance that Kelrian could destroy her staff with a precise hit.

Whitemane swung her staff again but much slower this time, so Kelrian managed to dodge it once again. It was clearly visible that the priestess was getting more and more exhausted. The power granted by the nathrezim vanished slowly. It was only a matter of time until Whitemane would be too exhausted to fight him. Kelrian had two options. He could play for time or he could try to end the fight as soon as possible. He chose the less risky option, knowing that his group was able to deal with the remaining soldiers.

He didn't allow Whitemane to use any spell to refresh her stamina. She was way too busy blocking his sword attacks with her staff to cast any spell or execute an attack. He didn't miss that the cracks in her staff became thicker, deeper and longer with each hit she blocked. He always aimed at the middle of the staff to make sure it got more and more damaged.

His strategy paid out. Whitemane's staff broke in two pieces after several minutes of uninterrupted fighting. The separated piece jangled when it landed on the floor. Kelrian didn't miss the surprised look on Whitemane's face. Her widened eyes rested on the lower half of the staff which she still held in her hands. Instead of moving and continuing to fight, she stood rooted to the spot and allowed Kelrian to pounce on her.

He dragged her to the stone floor and sat on top of her. The massive weight on Whitemane's upper body did not only prevent her from getting up but also stole her breath and prevented her from casting a spell. There was no power left in Whitemane's body which she could use to push Kelrian off. He pinned her arms to the ground and stared into her eyes.

"Will you stop fighting or do I really have to hurt you?"

The High Inquisitor tried to spit at him but her saliva only hit his armour. "Fuck you, bastard."

Kelrian muttered a few words and let golden chains grow out of the floor. He wrapped them around the human's arms and legs but also around her waist. Some of these chains were thicker than others, especially the one around her waist. Kelrian put his hand on her throat and cast a spell, getting up from Whitemane when he got the proof that his spell worked.

Whitemane's lips moved but no sounds could be heard. She had a furious expression on her face, her eyes reflected hatred and it was obvious that all of her thoughts were negative. Only insults would leave her mouth if she could speak but she couldn't. Kelrian's spell prevented her from speaking.

Kelrian regarded her from head to toe, noticing that the chains sat tight enough. Whitemane couldn't move her arms and legs nor could she lift her upper body. The chains were not only holding her in place but also draining her power. Whitemane finally stopped trying to get free after several minutes.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at his group. They had successfully defeated their opponents and stood not far away from him. Marcus and Liadrin were using their powers to take care of the wounds of the night elf couple. Liadrin closed a cut on Vissia's left cheek the very moment Kelrian stepped to them.

"You fought well. All of you."

"This fight was harder than expected. I thought we would sneak up to Whitemane and kidnap her without allowing her to resist but things turned out differently," said Vissia.

"I wanted to bring us to a small unused room but for some reason, we landed in this room. I assume that Balnazzar had something to do with it."

"Do you think he noticed the channelling of the spell and altered the destination?" Marcus asked.

"I think so. It's also possible that he found a way to put a permanent spell on this building which would cause anyone who uses teleportation spells to land in this room," explained Kelrian.

"It surprises me that Whitemane endured so long against you," Liadrin said to Kelrian.

"I think it's Balnazzar's doing. He must have given her power."

"But she didn't use fel magic to fight you, did she?" asked Vissia. "I didn't notice any spells demons use nor did her aura showed signs of demonic power."

"She didn't use fel magic, that's right. Maybe he found another way to increase her power. It surprises me that he managed to make her so much stronger," replied the Chosen.

"We will know what exactly Balnazzar has done when we are done interrogating him," said Liadrin.

"I hope he will speak and cooperate with us," responded Kelrian.

"If not, we will make this demon bastard speak. Even if we have to use violence," hissed Velsana.

Marcus looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You don't seem to like demons."

Velsana's gaze fell on him, her voice reflected anger. "I was a young girl when the demons invaded Azeroth for the first time. Many kaldorei died that day. My mother sacrificed herself to save me...I watched her die. I hate the Burning Legion since that day and I will always hate them."

Marcus lowered his head and stared at his feet. "I'm sorry to hear that," he muttered.

Velsana cleared her throat and looked at Kelrian. "What will we do now?"

Kelrian's gaze wandered to Balnazzar who was still unconscious. "We will take Whitemane and Balnazzar and bring them out of the building. The artefact won't be able to make all of us invisible. One of us has to leave this building in a different way."

Vissia raised her hand. "I can hide in the shadows and leave the monastery unseen."

"Good."

"What do we do about the fact that the Scarlet Crusade has no leader?" Liadrin asked Kelrian. "You told us you are certain that you can win Balnazzar over and he will make sure that the Scarlet Crusade will not attack us. Now that we have to kidnap him too, the chance exists that the Scarlet Crusade might attack us."

"If they do, their attack will not be organised. They will lose for sure and they are aware of that, so I don't think they will attack us. The remaining commanders will be insecure after they find out that their leaders have been kidnapped. They won't dare to attack us."

"But what if they do?" asked Marcus. "It's still possible."

"You are right," admitted Kelrian. "If they do, they won't attack us in the next few days. I know what to do. I will tell you as soon as we are back in Silvermoon. Is that okay with you?"

Marcus nodded. "Yes, Chosen."

Kelrian chuckled. "You can call me by my name, Marcus. We know each other since the fall of Silvermoon seven years ago and we fought together in many battles. Please, call me Kelrian. The same counts for Vissia and Velsana. I don't like it when people say Chosen One to me, especially when I know these people."

"I will call you by your name then," replied Marcus.

Kelrian gave him a thankful nod before he let his gaze wander to Whitemane. "We should go before someone shows up." He looked at the rogue. "We'll meet again in the forest, Vis. Stay safe.

"I will."

Velsana stepped to her lover. "Be careful." She put a kiss on her lover's mouth.

Vissia returned the kiss but pulled away after a few moments. "I will. Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

Velsana smiled at her but said nothing in return.

Kelrian went to Whitemane and removed some of her chains. He tied her wrists and ankles together and gave Velsana a signal. The warrior didn't hesitate to walk to him and lift Whitemane up.

"Seems we have to carry Balnazzar together, Marcus."

Marcus walked to Kelrian without hesitation. Marcus took dreadlord's legs while Kelrian had wrapped his arms around the demon's shoulders. Together they lifted the heavy dreadlord up.

"Is everyone ready?" Kelrian asked.

He looked at Liadrin after he had received nods from everyone. "Activate the artefact."

She obeyed.

"Let's get out of this place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in chapter 67, the next chapter will only be about lemon/ NSFW/ fan service stuff. No important plot will happen there, so you won't miss anything if you decide to not read it. If you don't want to read explicit sexual content, just skip chapter 69 and read the next chapter.
> 
> For those who want to read it, you can expect some new stuff. I experimented a little and I'm curious to find out what you think about the result. I'll give you a little teaser of what to expect.
> 
> Kelrian might be a paladin now but he is still able to use a few of the spells he had used as a mage. Creating clones/mirror images is one of them.


	69. Love Is In The Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said at the end of Chapter 68, this chapter will have no plot and only contains explicit sexual content. It's a bonus chapter. You can skip it if you don't like to read pure porn. The story continues in Chapter 70.
> 
> There is a picture in the middle of the chapter which was drawn by a very special person. It was made for this chapter.

Sylvanas opened the door to her office and entered without hesitation. She closed the door immediately and froze when she noticed that something was different. She didn't need to take a closer look at her room to know that there was something which was not supposed to be there.

She could smell something. A familiar scent. She had not smelled it for a while but it was still familiar to her. The smell of roses. She turned around, noticing the bunch of roses in a flower vase on her desk. Golden, red but also white roses.

She approached her desk slowly, letting her gaze wander all over the room. She spotted no other unexpected things. The flower vase was the only unfamiliar thing in her room.

The first thing Sylvanas noticed when she stopped in front of her desk was the spell that had been cast on the flowers. The spell's purpose was to preserve the flowers longer. Flowers usually wilted very fast in the near of any undead creature and in Undercity in general.

Due to the spell, Sylvanas might be able to keep them for a few hours, maybe even for a few days. Sylvanas didn't really care about flowers these days. She had loved smelling roses and other beautiful flowers when she had been alive but she no longer enjoyed to do that in death. Usually, there were no flowers in her office in Undercity and not even in her room in Silvermoon. She didn't care about flowers except for those who had been gifted by creatures she loved.

She had no doubt that one of those who were close to her had put these flowers in her office. That fact was reason enough for Sylvanas to like them. She touched one of the roses carefully, smiling when she noticed that they didn't wilt. Not even their petals fell off. They were immune to her cold touch. The touch of death. She noticed the note in the bouquet when she admired these beautiful flowers. She took it out carefully and read it.

_To the most beautiful woman on Azeroth_

_I know you don't care about flowers since your death but I still hope you like them. I'm sure you already noticed that I preserved them with the help of the spell. They should last for three days at least. Depends on how strong the spell is. Using mage spells became pretty hard since I became a paladin. I'm only able to use a few certain spells and I have to admit that this simple spell was more difficult than expected._

_Anyway, I hope you like the flowers. Otherwise, I have to find another beautiful woman I can give them to. Jokes aside, I would never give flowers to other women. You will always be the only woman for me._

_I love you more than anything and anyone else._

_Your beloved husband._

A wide smile could be seen on Sylvanas' lips when she was done reading. She didn't stop smiling, not even after she had read it for the third time. She put the note aside and took one of the roses out of the vase. She brought it to her nose, closing her eyes as she inhaled the lovely scent. The petals tingled her nose and made her giggle. She put the rose back in the vase eventually and made a few steps backwards.

She froze when she noticed something. Quiet movements. Someone was in her room but she couldn't tell yet if it was a friend or foe. One of her hands wandered to her belt, grabbing the handle of one of the daggers than hung on the piece of leather. Her ears laid flat against her head,her senses were sharpened. She was aware that the movement came from the right corner of her room. She turned around within a blink of an eye, looking at the direction where she expected the intruder. To her surprise, no one was there.

A frown could be seen on her forehead as she turned her head slowly and checked her surroundings again. A hand covered her mouth and prevented her from screaming while another hand grabbed her wrist. "You won't need this," whispered a familiar voice in her ear. Sylvanas' body relaxed immediately when she recognized the familiar male voice. She put the dagger back on her belt once the man had let go of her wrist but she didn't turn around to face him.

He stood right behind her, one of his hands rested on her hips while the other still covered her mouth. Only when Sylvanas' tongue licked the palm of his hand, he removed it from her mouth. He put his head on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

"Happy birthday, my love," Kelrian whispered in her ear.

Sylvanas smiled. "Thanks. I don't really celebrate my birthday but Alleria and Vereesa still show up every year and give me presents. Usually, weapons or useful items."

"I still feel guilty that I missed all of your previous birthdays since your death. Either I was in a different place, had to fight or I had other important things to do. This is the first birthday for seven years which I didn't miss," Kelrian replied.

"As I said, I don't celebrate my birthdays anymore so I don't mind that you missed them. You don't have to gift me anything."

"I know but I still want to do that. I want to prove to you how much I love you."

Sylvanas chuckled. "I already know that you love me more than anything else. You don't have to buy me presents to prove it."

"Yeah, I know. Nevertheless, I did it. I like buying my woman things she likes."

"Flowers no longer belong to the things I like to receive. I loved flowers in life but I no longer need them in death. I only like those gifted by persons I care about."

"The flowers are not the only present I have for you."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow curiously. "They aren't?"

Kelrian opened his left hand and muttered a few phrases. He let a black, elongated box appear on his palm. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to take it and open it. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw what was inside.

It was a beautiful necklace, one of the most beautiful necklaces she had ever seen. It was a pearl necklace but every single pearl was silver and shaped like a skull. Tiny ruby crystals made the eyes of the skulls. There was also a pendant which resembled the symbol of the Forsaken. A broken mask pierced by two arrows. Whoever had made this necklace had put a lot of effort into it.

"It's beautiful," Sylvanas whispered astonishedly.

"Not as beautiful as you are," replied Kelrian when he kissed the spot behind her left ear.

"You are flattering me."

"I'm just saying the truth, my love."

"Keep going and you might get between my legs later," the Banshee replied with a teasing smirk on her lips.

"Almost sounds as if it is my birthday and not yours."

"On your birthday, I do everything you demand from me and on my birthday..."

"I do everything you demand from me," Kelrian completed.

Sylvanas' smirk became wider. "I like the sound of that."

"Just tell me what you want and I will do it."

"Putting the necklace around my neck would be a good start."

"As you wish, my queen."

Sylvanas laughed amused. "My queen? Are you my husband or one of my servants?"

"I can be anyone you want me to be," teased Kelrian.

"I'll keep that in mind for later, my love."

Kelrian said nothing in return. He took the necklace out of the box and put it around Sylvanas' neck. He brought her to the mirror next to her wardrobe so that Sylvanas was able to regard her reflection. She had to admit that she looked good with the necklace around her slender neck. "I love it already."

Kelrian smiled. "It suits you. The necklace makes you look much more intimidating and powerful."

"Thank you, Kel. That's a nice gift. I appreciate it."

Kelrian kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? That's an understatement. I absolutely love it."

Kelrian kissed her cheek again. "What does the mighty Banshee Queen want to do on her birthday?" he asked eventually.

"Since I don't need to drink or eat, a romantic dinner wouldn't be fitting. My family won't be coming until midday which means we have plenty of time for us. Its shortly after midnight so we have at least eleven to twelve hours we can spend _wisely._ "

Kelrian smirked. "I like the way you pronounce the word wisely."

"I bet you have the same idea in your mind as I have."

"Depends if your idea includes this area," Kelrian replied and put his left hand on her upper thigh, close to her most sacred area.

Sylvanas just smiled about his comment.

"I interpret your smile as an affirmation."

"Your interpretation is correct but..." She didn't complete her sentence.

"But what?"

"But it's my birthday so..."

"You want to be in control I assume."

"Just like the good old times."

"I think some nostalgia won't hurt."

"I couldn't agree more." The smile that formed on Sylvanas' lips was wide and beautiful. "Perfect. I have no doubt that the next twelve hours will be wonderful."

"Twelve hours? Do you want to end me?" Kelrian asked jokingly.

Sylvanas raised her left eyebrow a little. "Twelve hours is nothing. Do you still remember the weekend where we did nothing but staying in bed?"

"Of course, I remember. How I could forget that weekend? The best forty-eight hours of my life."

"We fucked two days in a row with only little breaks, so twelve hours shouldn't be a problem for us, right?"

Kelrian nodded. "Twelve hours are nothing for me."

Sylvanas made a step away from him and turned around to face him. She put her hands on his cheeks, caressing them while she stared into his golden eyes. Kelrian put his left hand on her back, the other caressed her left hip. Sylvanas grabbed him by the collar of his vest, pulling him closer. "Stop playing for time and kiss me already," she whispered. Her voice sounded erotic and reflected a small measure of desire and lust.

"As you wish," whispered Kelrian before he leaned in and pressed his lips on Sylvanas' cold but soft lips. The Banshee Queen returned the kiss without hesitation and ran her fingers through his short blond hair. She bit his bottom lip softly, demanding access to his mouth that way. Kelrian parted his lips and allowed her tongue to enter his mouth. His own tongue found its way in her mouth a few moments later, doing the same as Sylvanas' tongue. Licking every reachable corner.

Sylvanas' hand found its way beneath Kelrian's vest which disappeared a few seconds later. But his golden blouse didn't disappear, not even when her hand slipped beneath it. A quiet groan escaped Kelrian's lips when Sylvanas' cold hand came in contact with his warm skin. She caressed his stomach muscles while she deepened the kiss, her other hand was still toying with her husband's hair.

Kelrian's heart was beating rapidly, his skin was tingling in excitement. He could already feel the effects of the passionate kiss and her soft touch on his lower region. The longer the kiss endured, the stronger the effect got. He got a teasing grin from Sylvanas when she lowered her gaze after the kiss had ended. "I didn't know I could do that with just a kiss and caressing your stomach," she said amused.

"Having your lips on mine is such an indescribably good feeling. It makes me think about lots of naughty things we can do. I love kissing you. I love tasting you on my lips."

"The same counts for me," replied Sylvanas. Her hand still caressed his muscular stomach but it didn't go further down. She didn't touch his manhood yet because she had other ideas in her mind. She took his hand and guided him over to the bed, signalizing him to sit down on the edge. Of course, Kelrian obeyed without hesitation. His gaze didn't leave Sylvanas' figure.

The leader of the Forsaken sat down in the middle of the bed, her curious eyes fell on Kelrian's clothing. "You wear too many clothes for my liking."

"You want me to take something off?"

Sylvanas nodded. "You can leave your underpants on but the rest must go."

Kelrian removed everything but his golden underpants and put his clothes on the side table next to the bed. "Better?"

"Better," Sylvanas repeated with a grin on her lips. She didn't blush when she shamelessly ogled her husband. He had become much more muscular over the past year. His almost nude body was very attractive, almost too attractive. She couldn't stop regarding him. He was so handsome. So sexy. His well-toned sexy body was a feast to her eyes.

She could already feel the wetness between her legs. She didn't need to put her hand between her legs to know that her clit and her southern lips were swollen. Nor did she need to touch her ears to know the tips were stiff. These were clear signs that she was very horny. She was just as horny as he was. His boner was unmistakable.

She leaned back and propped herself on her forearms, spreading her legs. "I think we should continue where we stopped the last time." She didn't need to say more to make Kelrian understand. He crawled over to her and put his hands on her upper thighs. He removed her leggings and tossed them aside, spreading her legs again. Not even her black panties could hide the dampness between her legs. Kelrian didn't show how surprised he was at how wet she was.

He didn't even make a comment about it. He laid down in front of her and moved so close to her that his head was only a few inches away from her most sacred place. He felt one of Sylvanas' hands caressing his head and stroking his hair. She smiled at him and watched him pulling down her panties with his teeth. He laid the piece of fabric aside and lowered his head. He inhaled the lovely scent of arousal, enjoying it for a few moments before he opened his mouth and gave his tongue a task.

Sylvanas grabbed his hair and tilted her head a little when he began to run his tongue over her slit. He repeated this motion a dozen times, causing a quiet moan to escape his lover's lips. His skilled tongue licked her southern lips over and over again, causing more moans to escape the banshee's lips. Sylvanas pulled on his hair much rougher than before, her gaze didn't leave him. "Faster," she hissed through gritted teeth.

Kelrian obeyed and increased his pace, smiling when her moans became louder. He was good at what he was doing and he knew it. The way Sylvanas' body behaved was proof enough that she enjoyed it. Kelrian's hands grabbed her ass cheeks and kneaded them softly, making Sylvanas feel much better. The Banshee Queen's head was tilted, her crimson eyes were half-closed. She didn't expect to feel so good when being orally pleasured.

She removed her hand from Kelrian's hair and brought it to her sensitive womanhood. She pressed the tips of two of her fingers on her clit, kneading it softly. The waves of pleasure that rushed through her body became much stronger, causing a very loud moan to escape her lips. There was no way to deny that she was enjoying this. Each lick of his tongue caused another wave of pleasure to rush through her body. He was making her feel so good that she wondered how good she would feel when his manhood would enter her womanhood. She was looking forward to finding that out. She was super excited.

Kelrian made the next step eventually, inserting his tongue into her pussy. Her inner walls tightened around it, making it impossible for him to move it for the first few minutes. But her inner walls loosened eventually so that Kelrian was able to let his tongue lick her inner walls.

Sylvanas was no longer propping herself on one arm. She laid on the bed, her left hand was still stimulating her clit while her other hand toyed with her breast. She kneaded the soft flesh and did the same with the stiff nipples. They were quite sensitive and tingled softly when she touched them.

The Banshee Queen had no idea how much time had passed when she felt her orgasm approach. She didn't tell Kelrian to stop nor did she stop. She just continued with what she was doing while Kelrian's tongue went wild in her pussy. Her legs trembled when Kelrian brought her over the edge, his name left her lips as a loud scream when her inner walls contracted.

Pussy fluid flowed in Kelrian's mouth which was wide open. He waited until the last drop had flown in his mouth before removed his head from the area between Sylvanas' legs. He savoured the wonderful taste of the sticky liquid before he swallowed it. His gaze fell on his lover who had a satisfied expression on her face.

"I did not expect that to happen, to be honest."

Kelrian grinned at her. "There are lots of things I'm good at. Satisfying my wife is one of them."

"I learned it first-hand how good you are with your mouth. That was incredible," she complimented.

Kelrian's grin became wider. "It's been a pleasure."

Sylvanas sat up slowly, watching Kelrian doing the same. She grabbed his hands and pulled him closer to her, kissing him. She didn't mind tasting herself on his lips nor did she mind having his tongue in her mouth, which had previously been in her womanhood. Their tongues fought, danced and explored the other's mouth. Their kiss was sweet and passionate, making both of them want more.

Their kissing turned into a wild making out, Sylvanas hands were fumbling around with Kelrian's underpants. She managed to pull it down eventually and then started to remove her own clothes. Kelrian helped her with that.

In the end, Sylvanas sat on Kelrian's lap, wearing nothing but her black bra. Her stiff nipples were poking through the piece of fabric. "Don't you want to remove it?" Sylvanas whispered into his ear.

"I want to savour the moment and enjoy the view. I rarely see you wearing such erotic underwear."

"You are not wrong. Usually, I don't wear my underwear when I know that we are going to have sex."

Kelrian smirked. "I love the way your nipples try to cut through the fabric. The fabric might be thin but it much more stable than it looks like."

"Not to mention that my nipples are not sharp like glass."

"Yes, fortunately. Taking them in my mouth would really hurt in that case."

Sylvanas ran her fingers through Kelrian's hair. "Is that what you want to do, babe? Sucking my nipples?"

"Yes," Kelrian replied honestly.

"What is stopping you?"

A wide grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. He said nothing in return and let his hands wander. The hand on her back reached her bra, unclasping it without a problem. Kelrian was experienced when it came to open a bra with only one hand. He removed the piece of clothing and tossed it aside. Sylvanas' melons were now free and unprotected, meaning that there was nothing which could stop Kelrian from touching them.

Sylvanas found both of Kelrian's hands grabbing her ample bosom and kneading the sensitive flesh softly. The Banshee Queen couldn't help but moan in pleasure. The moans became louder when Kelrian decided to fondle her breasts rougher than before. He pressed his thumbs on her nipples, later pinching each of them with two fingers. He toyed with her lovebuds and made her feel much better than before. Her loins were tingling in excitement, the wetness between her legs increased.

Despite Kelrian having the active part, Sylvanas was still the one in control. She could make her lover stop if she wanted but she didn't want him to stop so she said nothing. She allowed him to continue, her left hand was still toying with his hair while she ran her other hand over his back. She had already left a few scratch marks and she was sure she would leave more of them over time.

Her fingernails were sharp but not too sharp. The pain he felt whenever she scratched him was minimal. Like Sylvanas, Kelrian didn't mind a little amount of pain. As long as it didn't get out of hand, he was fine with Sylvanas marking him. She loved to mark her territory and he knew that very well. That was the reason why he said nothing about it.

Another loud moan escaped Sylvanas' lips when Kelrian's warm tongue licked over one of her stiff nipples for the first time. The breast fondling had made them much more sensitive and the pleasure Sylvanas received was much stronger than before. But licking one of her nipples was not enough for the Chosen. He took it in his mouth while he kneaded the over between the tips of two of his fingers. Sylvanas' response was a loud moan and a much stronger pull on his hair.

Her other hand had no task at the moment, so she put it on his stomach and moved it down. She closed it around his stiff member, giving it a few strokes before she brought it close to her most sacred area. She spread her thighs widely, straddling Kelrian. She didn't hesitate to guide his dick to her entrance, brushing the tip over her swollen lips before she slowly inserted it into her womanhood.

The sharp sound which escaped her lips sounded more like a moan than a soft scream. His dick was not even fully inside her and she already had the impression that it was too much for her. The pleasure she felt was already so strong and overwhelming that she doubted that she could take any more.

She needed a few moments to get used to the new circumstances but then she was sure she could take it. Not every inch of Kelrian's manhood was inside her but she was full nevertheless. His dick was too large for her. Not an inch could fit inside her anymore.

Her inner walls hugged his dick tightly but they loosened up after a few minutes, allowing the sin'dorei to move his member inside her. He was pumping his dick in and out slowly while Sylvanas was moving her hips up and down at a similarly slow pace. Their synergy was perfect.

They liked it slow but they preferred a faster pace. They increased their paces eventually, Sylvanas d-cup breasts bounced up and down slightly while she was moving her hips. Kelrian's dick hit her g-spot over and over again in a constant rhythm, his tongue was working on her right breast. Her left breast was still fondled by his hand, his other hand rested on her well-curved rear. He took turns kneading her ass cheeks and even spanked them from time to time. The spanks were not too strong but they still fulfilled their purpose. Sylvanas got turned on by his spanking.

Kelrian stopped sucking on Sylvanas' tits after a while and brought his head to hers, kissing her. Sylvanas returned the kiss immediately and deepened it by forcing her tongue in his mouth. Sylvanas kissed her husband much more aggressively than before, her tongue dominated his. She moved her hips much faster, pressing her breasts against his muscular chest. She didn't mind the beads of sweat that ran down her body nor did Kelrian. They embraced each other tightly and didn't stop kissing and moving their hips.

They pulled away after a while, staring into each other's eyes for a couple of minutes. Sylvanas put one of her hands on his chest and slowly pushed his upper body down until his back hit the mattress. Kelrian laid on the bed and Sylvanas sat on top of him, grinding her hips against him. She didn't know why, but for some reason, the pleasure she felt had become much stronger. She had done nothing but changing their position a little but the effects were surprisingly huge. Riding his dick in this position made her feel a lot better than riding his dick while sitting on his lap.

Sylvanas had her eyes closed when she continued to move her hips and enjoyed the pleasure Kelrian's dick was causing. She couldn't stop herself from moaning loudly nor could she stop herself from kneading both of her breasts at the same time. Kelrian's hand rested on her hips and caressed them, later they wandered to her ass. He spanked her, kneaded her butt cheeks and even spread them while thrusting his thick member deep inside her. He continued to move his hips up and down, hitting her g-spot very often.

None of them knew how much time had passed when they got the first signs of their approaching orgasms. Both of them knew that they would reach their peaks soon but none of them stopped. They came at the same moment. Kelrian's dick twitched inside Sylvanas' pussy and shot a huge load of cum out which mixed with the juice released by Sylvanas' inner walls.

Loud moans escaped their lips, Sylvanas' head was tilted back, her hands still cupped her breasts when she rode out her orgasm. Kelrian was breathing heavily, his dick had stopped twitching but was still stiff and still inside her. He knew he would be able to cum a few more times before his member would become slack. He could endure very long if he wanted. He was not done yet nor was she. The Banshee Queen's body may be covered in sweat but she was not even close to being exhausted. Just like her husband, she could endure much longer.

"This one was much better than the previous orgasm," Sylvanas said as she lowered her upper body and laid on top of her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips on his and inserted her tongue in his mouth as soon as he had parted his lips. They stayed like this for a while, doing nothing but kissing and cuddling.

As much as she enjoyed making out with her husband, Sylvanas still decided to pull away. She got up, noticing the white liquid that flowed out of her widened womanhood as soon as his dick slid out of her. The sticky liquid dripped on the sheets but she didn't mind that because she would change them after they would be done. Whenever that would be. Her lips formed a teasing smirk when she noticed that the product of their orgasms stuck on Kelrian's still stiff manhood.

"Seems I have to clear that mess," Sylvanas said and leaned over his cock. She put her shins next to Kelrian's head and spread her upper thighs so that Kelrian had a good view on her wet womanhood. He didn't hesitate to lift his head and bury his face between her legs, a moan escaped Sylvanas' lips when his tongue entered her womanhood. It was the second time of the day that Kelrian's taste organ was inside her. She watched Kelrian eating her out for a few moments before she shifted her attention back to his cock. There was much work to do and she didn't hesitate to start.

Her tongue began to lick off the love juice which tasted better than the banshee had expected. She took her time, licking slowly and passionately instead of half-heartedly and quickly. She licked his dick with pleasure and smiled when she was done put her hands around the thick member, gave it a few strokes and a few teases on his glans with her tongue before she took it in her mouth.

Her moans were muffled when she sucked her lover's dicks but Kelrian's weren't. What Sylvanas was doing made him feel really good and he couldn't stop himself from moaning into her pussy. He kneaded her ass cheeks while he spread them and he even toyed with her clit and teased her asshole. He didn't dare to lick it or insert a finger in it but he was already teasing it in case Sylvanas would say yes to anal.

Kelrian had not often done the sixty-nine position with Sylvanas but he had to admit that he enjoyed it. He loved it when Sylvanas sucked his cock and he loved to lick the inside of her pussy, so there was no reason for him not to love it. He also knew that Sylvanas loved it because she loved to have his dick in her mouth. It was perfect.

They were so good at what they were doing that they managed to make the other come again. Sylvanas' mouth was filled with Kelrian's cum and Sylvanas' release flowed in Kelrian's open mouth. They swallowed and enjoyed the unique tastes of the sticky liquids that flowed down their throats.

They repositioned and kissed again. Sylvanas straddled Kelrian, her hands were on his back and in his hair while his hands rested on her ass. "You are really obsessed with my ass today," Sylvanas said between kisses.

"Not only today. I admire your ass since the first time I caught sight of it. You have a very nice ass and I can't stop touching it."

Sylvanas smirked. "You want my ass so badly, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"But I prefer you to penetrate my pussy. If only there is a way you could be in both of my holes at the same time," Sylvanas teased him with her erotic voice.

"I have my hands."

"They don't count in this matter," Sylvanas responded and winked at him.

Kelrian's eyes widened a little when he realized what she was referring to.

"Are you sure you want me to use this technique?" he asked.

Sylvanas nodded. "Yes, I do."

The corners of Kelrian's lips formed a grin. "Very well. Who am I to deny your requests? It's an honour to me to fulfil your perverted desires." He closed his eyes and muttered a few phrases in ancient thalassian. He opened his eyes once he was done, smiling when he realized that the spell had worked. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the creature Kelrian was looking at.

It looked exactly like him. It was a mirror image, a clone which Kelrian could control. Sylvanas' eyes rested on the clone's face and then wandered to his manhood. It was as large as Kelrian's. She averted her gaze and looked at her husband, at the real one. A wide grin could be seen on her lips.

"I changed the spell a little to my liking. Because you should not be the only one who should be allowed to enjoy this, I made sure that I feel the same what my clones feel. Basically, if he penetrates you, I feel the pleasure he feels."

"So in this matter, the pleasure you will feel will be doubled," concluded Sylvanas.

"Exactly. And the intensity of my orgasms will be doubled."

"Sounds fair to me," Sylvanas said and turned to look at the clone. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"We have many positions to choose from. We could do it on the bed, my clone beneath you and I behind you. We could also do it standing. My clone and I will hold you in that case while we penetrate you. We could also sandwich you on the bed. I suppose there are more positions. It's up to you, honey. Your idea, your choice."

Sylvanas grinned when she thought about the many options they had. Her grin became wider when she made a choice and leaned over to her husband, whispering something in his ear. His grin became as wide as hers. "As you wish, my love," he said and pecked on her lips.

Together with the mirror image, he lifted up Sylvanas who wrapped her legs around the mirror image's waist. Her arms were wrapped around the clone's shoulders but she turned her head and looked over her shoulder so that she would see Kelrian and not his clone while they would do their own version of a threesome.

"In the end, it doesn't matter if I'm in front of you or behind you because I feel what my clones feel but I really enjoy fucking you from behind," Kelrian whispered into her ear before he kissed it slowly. "That way, I can also do this." He wrapped his arms around her back and cupped her breasts from behind, fondling them.

"Less talking, more doing, honey."

Kelrian smirked. "As you wish." He removed one of his hands from her breasts and began to tease her butt hole. He needed a few minutes to make it wide enough to insert one of his fingers and then he needed more minutes to make it wide enough for his member. He slowly inserted the tip of his penis in her butt hole, smiling when Sylvanas moaned in pleasure. The clone slowly inserted its manhood in Sylvanas' womanhood, making the moans louder. Both of them inserted their members at the same speed until they couldn't shove it any further.

Both of Sylvanas' southern holes were filled by cocks. Kelrian's cocks. She was sandwiched by them, the clone rubbed her clit with one hand while it used its other hand to hold her. Kelrian had brought his other hand back to her breasts and kneaded them with both hands, his lips were pressed on Sylvanas'. He kissed her while he moved his hips slowly and made his clone move its hips in the same slow pace.

They moaned into the kiss, their tongues danced in the other's mouth. In well-known territory basically. It was not the first time, Sylvanas got double-penetrated by two men. It was not the first time Kelrian and his mirror imagine penetrated her. For Sylvanas, it felt much better this time than all the times before. She was not sure if it was because of the position or if something else was the reason for that. All that mattered for her was the enormous pleasure she felt when two thick dicks penetrated her southern holes.

Her moans were much louder than all of the moans that had escaped her lips before Kelrian had created the mirror image. It was only logical that two dicks made her feel much better than just one. The pleasure was so strong that she couldn't stop moaning. A frequent and endless melody of moans was hearable. She reached her climax faster than she had expected. Her lips were still pressed on Kelrian's when she rode out her orgasm which was much stronger than the previous ones.

"Wow...I didn't expect it to turn me on so much. I don't know why but I have the impression that our lovemaking is so much better than the previous ones. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the best sex we ever had," the female elf said.

"You are not wrong about this," Kelrian replied and ran his fingers through her hair.

"An idea just came in my mind," Sylvanas announced and smirked at him.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, curiosity was reflected by his face. "What is it about?"

Sylvanas' smirk became wider. "You said that you feel everything your mirror images feel and that the intensity of your orgasms will be doubled if your mirror images also reach its limit."

Kelrian nodded. "I did."

"I came to the conclusion that now that you satisfied me, you deserve to be satisfied too. I want you to feel as good as possible."

Kelrian smiled at her. "I like the sound of that but it's your birthday. It's my task to satisfy you and not the other way around."

"I know but I also want to do something for you because I love you," she responded and pecked him on the lips.

"I won't say no to that," Kelrian whispered and caressed her cheek.

"How many mirror images can you create?"

"Well, I have never tried to create more than two but I think I can create more."

"What about three more?"

Kelrian's eyes became as wide as possible. "Three more?" he cleared his throat. "Sorry." He cleared his throat again. "What do you want to do with a total of four mirror images?"

Sylvanas was still smirking. "I want to use them to make you feel as good as possible. I will give you an orgasm you will never forget."

Kelrian chuckled. "I never forgot a single orgasm you gave me. I still remember all the times we made love."

"Seems your memory is better than mine in that case. Anyway, I want to satisfy five of them at the same time."

A small amount of doubt could be seen in the Chosen's eyes. "And how would you want to do that?"

"I have three holes and two hands."

" _Oh_. Now I see."

Sylvanas didn't stop smirking. "So are you in? I mean, you already are but..."

"Sure, if that's what you really want."

"That's what I really want. I want to make you feel as good as possible. Also, I have never had five dicks at the same time. Would be a new experience for me. I'm curious, to be honest."

Kelrian caressed Sylvanas' cheeks. "Alright, give me a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need, honey."

Kelrian closed his eyes and focused his power for the spell he had in mind. If he would have still been a mage, he would have completed the spell much faster. But since he had become the Chosen, he needed longer to cast the few mage spells he was still able to cast. Nevertheless, he succeeded after nearly ten minutes.

He noticed that the smirk on Sylvanas' lips was much wider than before when he opened his eyes. Her gaze rested on the creatures to their left. The mirror images stood there and looked at them, neutral expressions could be seen on their faces. "I'm ready when you are," said Sylvanas.

Kelrian nodded and made his mirror images move. Together, they sat Sylvanas on the bed carefully before they positioned themselves. Kelrian laid on the bed and Sylvanas sat on him, her womanhood was filled with his dick while her ass was filled with the dick of the first clone. One clone stood in front of her while the two remaining clones stood to her right and left. The second clone shoved its dick in her mouth which she began to suck without hesitation. She brought her hands to the dicks of the third and fourth clone and began to give them handjobs. Kelrian and the first clone were moving their hips in the meantime, pumping their dicks in and out.

Kelrian was more than just surprised about how great he felt. As Sylvanas had predicted, he felt five times as good as he usually did when they had sex. He moved his hips as fast as he could and let the first clone do the same. He penetrated Sylvanas thoroughly and sucked on her breasts greedily. Moans echoed through the room. Sylvanas' loud moans but also the melody of moans produced by Kelrian and his mirror images.

Sylvanas would have never imaged that she would ever satisfy five cocks at the same time. She had to admit that it made much more fun than expected. She felt so much better than she had expected and she knew that Kelrian felt the same way. She wondered if he could see what his clones could see. If he could, she wondered how she would look like. She was curious if Kelrian would find it sexy. It didn't really matter to them what they looked like. What mattered was that both of them really enjoyed it.

It didn't take long for Kelrian to reach his climax but he was not the only one who came. His clones came with him. They filled Sylvanas' holes and covered her with cum. The sticky liquid was spread all over Sylvanas' face, her breasts and a little was even stuck in her hair and on her back. Kelrian had never seen Sylvanas like this. He had never seen her covered in cum but he had to admit that he liked what he saw.

Kelrian's chest was rising and falling, he was so exhausted from the best orgasm he ever had that he was unable to do anything but lie there. He didn't even speak, all he did was to look at Sylvanas who got off him and sat down next to him, watching his mirror images disappear one by one.

She cleaned herself with handkerchiefs and then laid next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "That was great," she said after a while. "Great is an understatement but I'm lacking words to describe how good it was."

"It was fantastic," said Kelrian.

"We could do it again one day," Sylvanas suggested.

Kelrian chuckled. "But not so soon. I will feel this for days."

"So will I."

They remained silent for a while, doing nothing but cuddling and exchanging kisses from time to time. Kelrian kissed all areas of Sylvanas' body. He was especially careful when he reached her stomach and put soft kisses on the visible scar left by Frostmourne. Sylvanas ran her fingers through Kelrian's hair while she watched him treating her body carefully. She averted her gaze after a while and looked at the clock on the wall.

"My sisters will most likely be here in an hour. We should take a shower and get dressed. They have the bad habit to not warn me before they enter my room. Since I was a little girl, Alleria entered my room on all of my birthdays without knocking at the door first. And because we don't want to scandalize them, we have to wash and get dressed."

"I'd love to take a shower with you," Kelrian said with a smile.

A wide grin was Sylvanas' only response.


	70. Reorientation

"What do you want?" the woman hissed when Kelrian entered the small room.

Kelrian said nothing at first, all he did was to remain on the spot and regard the woman. Neither her white hair nor her clothes were dirty. She no longer wore her usual outfit. No blood-red armour and no chapeau. She wore a white dress instead. Her outfit didn't let her look like a prisoner. She was much cleaner than any prisoner in Undercity, Silvermoon or in any other capital city of the Alliance. She was better accommodated than any other enemy of the Alliance. She should be grateful but she wasn't. Her face reflected nothing but disgust. Disgust for the man in front of her.

"How are you doing?" Kelrian asked.

"Why do you want to know that? You don't care how I feel."

"I care about all servants of the light. Even for those who follow the wrong path."

"The wrong path? You are the one who follows the wrong. Not me."

Kelrian shook his head slightly. "You had time to think about everything and you still didn't come to the conclusion that your point of view is wrong. The Forsaken are not our enemy. The Scourge and the Burning Legion are."

"The existence of the Forsaken is an insult to life. They should not have existed in the first place."

"They didn't ask to be killed and raised, did they? They didn't ask to be brought back. It was not their decision. It was the Lich King who did this to them. You must accept that the Forsaken don't want to do any harm. All they want to do is survive and bring down the one who is responsible for their suffering. They want to stop the Scourge, just like you do."

"So you say that the Forsaken are not evil?" Whitemane asked. One of her brows was raised, her eyes reflected doubt.

"I do."

Whitemane spat on the floor not far away from Kelrian's feet. "Blasphemy."

Kelrian titled his head a little. "You have no arguments that support your thesis. The Forsaken fight the forces of the Lich King since they broke free. They are a part of the Alliance for six years and they have never left them in the lure. They helped us to stop the Burning Legion from taking over Silvermoon, they helped to reduce the influence of the Lich King in the Plaguelands and in Quel'Thalas. They didn't do any evil things."

"They didn't do it yet but they will do it one day. The Forsaken only pretend to be on your side to gain your trust, but in secret, they are still loyal to the Lich King. They will betray you one day and many good men and women will die because of it. Remember my words. The Forsaken are our enemies and your whore of a wife is the Lich King's mistress who has been ordered to seduce you and win you over for the Lich King. She will cause our downfall if we don't stop her before it is too late." Whitemane's voice was full of venom, her eyes reflected hatred.

Kelrian rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face when he considered Whitemane's words. "All you do is accuse the Forsaken and warn me about things you think will happen. You have no proofs nor do you know the Forsaken at all. You have never spent time with them, you never had a serious conversation with some of them, so you cannot know how they truly are. They are just like us. Some of them might be full of hatred but who can hold that against them after everything they have been through?" He made a small pause.

"Lots of them had seen their beloved die. They lost their families, their friends, their homes, their kingdoms and so much more. They had been tortured, slaughtered, raped and defiled. They had suffered a lot before their death which had made the suffering even worse. Many of them are not very friendly but they are still not evil. They might be jealous of the living but they do not wish their deaths as the Scourge does. Many Forsaken would sacrifice their lives to protect the living and prevent them from enduring the same suffering. They might no longer be the same creatures they were before death, they might be irascible and sometimes violent but they are not evil. The sooner you accept that the higher are your chances to seek redemption."

"Redemption," Whitemane repeated quietly. She was silent for a few moments, thinking about what she should say to Kelrian. Her voice was louder than before when she gave him a reply. "Redemption is not what I seek."

Kelrian tilted his head. "And what do you seek?"

"The purge of all undead creatures."

Kelrian sighed. "You will never change your mind, will you? No matter what I will do or say, no matter what the Forsaken will do, you will always regard them as abominations."

"Because they are abominations. That's not my personal opinion, that's a fact," hissed the priestess.

"Talking to you is like talking to a wall. It leads to nothing and is just a waste of time."

"I'll not listen to your false words and the false gods you worship. If the naaru tolerate and trust the undead, they are not so smart as they claim to be. They are nothing but idols."

"They are the purest expression of light, they are much older and smarter than we are. The only one who worships false gods is you. You and your followers are blind to the truth. But don't worry, Whitemane. There is still hope for you. I'll lead you on the right way and make you see things as I see. I'll make you believe in the true light."

"And how do you want to do that?" Whitemane asked. "You know that I will never listen to any of your words. I will never follow you. You will never convince me."

"I don't need to convince you. The naaru will open your eyes and show you the truth. They will make you see the same things I saw and make you understand."

"So you will force the naaru's will on me? You will put me under their mind-control and let them do the same thing to me that they did to you? You will allow them to brainwash me, won't you?"

"Brainwash? No. As I said, they will make you understand everything and guide you on the right path. They will save you from eternal suffering. They will give you a new purpose. A second chance. They'll give you the chance to redeem yourself and make up for your sins."

"I will not be the naaru's puppet. I will not worship your false gods."

Kelrian's expression was neutral. "Seems you have no choice in this matter." He made a gesture with his hand and two draenei guards stepped closer to Whitemane.

"Blasphemy. I will not obey."

"The choice is not yours. We all serve a higher purpose. It's your time to serve the true light."

"This is not right."

Kelrian's expression remained neutral. "Sometimes the hand of faith must be forced. It's not yours to decide what is right and what is wrong. That's the task of the naaru."

He looked at the one guard he knew better than the other. "Bring her to the naaru."

"As you wish," Yuri and put her hand on Whitemane's shoulder.

"Take your filthy hand off me, you dirty goat."

"Shut up, racist," barked the other draenei. It was a male with blue skin and brown hair

"Silence her," ordered Kelrian. The male cast a spell on Whitemane, preventing her from throwing more insults at the heads of the present persons. The draenei brought Whitemane out of the prison cell and lead her through the bordering corridor. Kelrian followed them without hesitation.

They came to the main hall of the Terrace of Light in which two sentient creatures were already waiting for them. A'dal and Z'eru stood opposite to each other but they turned around when Kelrian came closer. Kelrian's gaze fell on Whitemane whose eyes widened at the sight of the naaru. She was more than just surprised to see them. Kelrian had no idea if that was a good sign or not. All he could hope for was that Whitemane would stop denying the truth and making things harder for them.

"The false prophet has arrived," said Z'eru as it flew closer to Whitemane and removed the silence spell that lasted on her.

"False prophet...The only ones whose sermons are false are you. You are foolish if you think that the living can coexist with the undead. The undead must be purged from Azeroth and I will not stop until I achieved my goal," shouted Whitemane angrily.

"If only you would know how wrong you are," responded A'dal. "But don't worry, child. We will open your eyes to the truth and bring you back on the right path. The only path."

"I will never serve you voluntarily. Never," hissed the human.

The naaru said nothing in return. The fragments that formed their heads were directed at the human. It seemed as if they were looking at her, although they had no eyes. They could see her due to their magical powers, so they didn't miss the expression on her face. They didn't miss the way Whitemane's eyes widened again when golden bindings were wrapped around her body.

The guards stepped away from the High Inquisitor, their eyes reflected curiosity. They were not worried or distrustful. They knew what the naaru were about to do was right. They knew that they had no reason to doubt their actions. They couldn't stop the naaru even if they wanted to but they had no reason to do that. Nobody said or did anything when Whitemane was lifted in the air. She hovered between the naaru, her facial expression was a combination of anger, worry and even fear.

There was nothing she could do except for watching. She was powerless. Even if she would not be tied and would be able to move her arms and cast spells, there was nothing she could do to stop the naaru. Their power was far greater than hers. They were on a completely different level.

Kelrian observed the spectacle in silence. The naaru slowly rotated around Whitemane who didn't say anything. She could throw insults around her but she didn't. She didn't even try to get free. It seemed she had accepted that she was unable to change anything. All she could do was watch.

Kelrian listened to the voice of M'uru in his head and walked forward, stopping in front of the spot where Whitemane had been standing before the naaru had lifted her in the air. His head was tilted back, his gaze didn't leave the woman above him. He had no idea how much time had passed when Whitemane was finally lowered. He noticed that she was unconscious when he caught her.

He didn't notice any visible change when he regarded her thoroughly. He averted his gaze and looked at the naaru who had increased the distance between them. They were on opposite sides of the room.

"Did it work?" Kelrian asked.

"The ritual was successful. You will notice the change as soon as she wakes up. She will no longer be a problem for you and the Forsaken."

"These are some good news. Thank you."

"No need to thank us. We had to do this to prevent her from bothering you any longer. There are more important things which need to be done. You no longer have to deal with the Scarlet Crusade, so you will be able to focus on Illidan and stop his evil plans from now on," said Z'eru.

"So you want me to go to Outland again."

"Yes. Illidan must be stopped as soon as possible."

"Can I visit my wife first?"

"You can but you won't have much time. We want you to go to Outland tomorrow," replied A'dal.

"So be it. What will happen to Whitemane?"

"She will return to the Scarlet Monastery as soon as she is awake. She will keep her followers at bay and only send them to battle against the Legion and the Scourge."

"Sounds good to me."

"There is something else, Chosen."

"What is it, A'dal?"

"Whitemane's destiny is tied to yours."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow, a small amount of confusion could be seen in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"She will play an important role in the future."

"An important role? What will she do? Why is she so important?"

"We are afraid that we can't tell you more about it because we have not seen enough yet. All we can say is that you should look after her. She needs someone who will guide her and train her," replied the other naaru.

"You want me to be her trainer?"

"Yes."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Yes. It is the light's will."

Kelrian nodded. "I will do everything you ask of me."

"Good. Do you have any other questions?"

"No."

"You can go to your wife then. Goodbye **"**

"Goodbye," repeated Kelrian.

* * *

Sylvanas looked up from her desk as soon as she heard the squeaking of the wooden door when it was opened. Her lips formed a warm smile when she caught sight of the man who entered the room at the same moment. She got up from her chair and walked over to the man, welcoming him in a tight embrace. She kissed his cheek and then his lips, causing him to return the kiss.

"I'm so happy to see you, my love."

Kelrian put his left hand on her hip, the other caressed her cheek. "So am I."

"You have been away longer than I expected," Sylvanas remarked.

"Convincing Whitemane was harder than I thought. I had hope that I could bring her to reason by mere talking but she was too stubborn to listen to me."

"What did you do to convince her?"

"I didn't do anything. The naaru did. They opened Whitemane's eyes for the truth and made sure she wouldn't follow the wrong path any longer. She follows the right path now. The path where the servants of the light tolerate the Forsaken."

"So she stops trying to purge my people from now on?" Sylvanas asked curiously.

Kelrian nodded. "She does. It has been weeks since we completed the ritual which turned out to be successful. She no longer hates the Forsaken and no longer wants to extinguish them. She pursues the goal to stop the Scourge and so will the Scarlet Crusade from now on."

"So Whitemane will lead them again?"

Kelrian nodded again. "She will. She will convince the members of the Scarlet Crusade to follow the true path of the light and worship the true gods. The naaru."

Sylvanas' smile became wider. "These are some good news. Now I no longer have to be worried about what these fanatics might plan."

Kelrian pulled her closer to him and put a kiss behind her right ear. He felt her breasts on his chest and her nether region against his but he didn't give in to the urge to touch her and make love to her. "Now we can fully focus on Illidan and his remaining forces."

"I assume you are happy to hear that we reduced his influence on Outland again. We managed to conquer a large part of his territory and forced his troops to retreat to the Black Temple," said Sylvanas.

"This is great," responded Kelrian. He took Sylvanas hand and guided her to her desk. He sat down on her chair and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. He removed her shoulder plates and began to massage her shoulders softly. "Your muscles are tensed," he remarked.

A barely hearable moan escaped the Banshee Queen's lips. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted while she enjoyed her lover's soft touch. "The past weeks have been stressful. I helped to plan the offensives on Outland and I even joined a few skirmishes."

"You are the Queen of Undercity, you don't have to join the fray," Kelrian reminded her.

"I know but I hate hiding in Undercity while others are risking their lives for the greater good."

A soft chuckle escaped Kelrian's lips. "Hiding... That's not what you do. You have other responsibilities. You have a city to run."

"I know but I also want to look after our son. I want to protect him."

Kelrian began to massage her muscles a bit rougher than before. "He is a grown man, he can take care of himself. He doesn't need your protection, my dear."

Sylvanas sighed. "I know. I know he is strong but I feel better when I know that he is alright. He is our only child that is still alive. I don't want to lose him too."

"You will not lose him. He is a powerful mage and he is never alone. His boyfriend looks after him and his unit protects him by any means."

"He is not immortal nor is he undefeatable. No matter how powerful he is, he can still die."

"So can I and you don't stick around with me all the time and look after me."

"You are different. Not only are you the Chosen of the Light but I also know you can take care of yourself."

Kelrian pressed a kiss on her temple. "Our son can also take care of himself, trust me. But if you feel better when you join him in battle, then do so. Just take care of yourself. I don't want to lose you either."

Sylvanas turned her head to look into his face. Regarding his handsome face was enough to calm her down and reassure her. She had the impression that a heavy burden was lifted from her shoulders. She felt more secure than before and more self-confident. She knew she could trust her husband but also her son. She could trust those who were important to her.

She leaned in to press a soft kiss on Kelrian's lips. The kiss was neither very long nor very passionate but it was good enough to satisfy both elves.

"I really missed you," said the undead woman. "More than ever before."

"I was only away a few weeks," Kelrian responded.

"Still too long for my liking," admitted Sylvanas.

Kelrian kissed her temple and didn't stop to massage her shoulders. "Unfortunately, I cannot always be there for you. I have my duties as the Chosen and you have your duties as the ruler of Undercity. I have to impose the naaru's will and protect the Sunwell, Quel'Thalas and the Alliance. To be exact, I have to protect Azeroth and Outland. I will always be busy but I will visit you whenever I can."

"How long can you stay this time?" Sylvanas asked.

"Just today. I will go back to Outland tomorrow. I have to join the forces that will overthrow Illidan."

Kelrian didn't miss the disappointment in Sylvanas' eyes. She was not happy about this news. "So only one day," she said quietly.

"I would stay longer if I could but duty calls."

"I understand that. I don't like it but I must accept it."

"Do you have much to do?"

"Yes, but that can wait. I want to spend the rest of the day with you before you go. I'll see if I can go to Outland with some troops if I have time. I don't really have the manpower but if Whitemane withdraws her forces from my borders, I might be able to send a few hundred Forsaken to join your cause."

"That would be great," Kelrian whispered into her ear and then kissed it softly.

"I hope you will at least make love to me before you go. I'll be pissed if you don't."

Kelrian chuckled. "Don't worry about that. We will do that later. For now, I just want to cuddle with you and kiss you."

"Sounds fine to me," replied Sylvanas.

* * *

Kelrian sat up and turned his head, looking at his wife who laid right next to him. She was stark naked, her body was covered in sweat and her pale blonde hair was messed up. He put his hand on her cheek and caressed it, the smile he gave her was as wide as hers. He said nothing when he let his hand wander to her breasts and then to her stomach. He grazed the scar with his fingertips before he brought his hand back to her face. Sylvanas pressed her face against the palm of his hand, enjoying the pleasant warmth that was radiated by it.

"You know what I'm wondering about?" Kelrian asked.

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow curiously. "About what?"

"I can touch you without causing you any pain, I can even be inside you and make love to you but I'm not able to touch other Forsaken without hurting them."

"You have touched other Forsaken?"

"Accidentally, yes. I bumped into Nathanos when I was on my way to your room. Let's say that hitting his head on the floor was not the worst pain he felt today. I wanted to help him up but his facial features distorted in pain when I grabbed his wrist. I know that the holy light is the greatest weakness of the Forsaken but I didn't even use the light on him. Even though I wore my gauntlet, my touch still hurt him."

A thoughtful look could be seen on Sylvanas' face. "That's not good at all."

"Nobody gets hurt as long as I don't touch anyone but still... This is not how things are supposed to be."

"Did you talk to the naaru about it?" his wife asked.

He shook his head. "No. I just noticed it today, so I didn't have the chance to tell them my discovery. Nonetheless, I'm still wondering why you are not affected. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to hurt you. But it makes me curious about why you are immune to my touch. I want to find out why so I can find a way to spare other Forsaken pain."

"Let's hope you will find a way."

"It only has advantages, especially in battle. I don't want to hurt those who fight with me if I want to pull them off a line of fire for example."

"At least you don't hurt me when you touch me," she said as she took his hand on put it on her chest.

"We wouldn't be able to have sex. That would be bad enough. Not to mention that I love to kiss you, cuddle with you and touch you in general."

Sylvanas smiled when she sat up and leaned in to put a soft kiss on her husband's lips. Kelrian returned the kiss without hesitation. Their tongues met and danced, they fought for dominance but the fight didn't end with a clear winner. They pulled away eventually, smiling at each other. Kelrian was aware that Sylvanas was still too exhausted for another round, so he just wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"I should go, it's already morning."

"Stay a little longer, my love," begged Sylvanas.

Kelrian ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't, my love. I have to go to Outland and assist our forces there. Illidan must be stopped."

"Just one more hour."

Kelrian shook his head. It was not easy to deny Sylvanas anything, especially when she was nude and bathed in sweat and love juice. She was too sexy but his will was stronger than his lower desires. He was able to resist her and refuse her requests if he really had to.

He knew he would never leave her bed if he would give in. He had to stay strong and ignore his tickling stiff manhood. His duty was the most important thing. Protecting Azeroth and Outland was more important than anything else. He would have enough time to make love to Sylvanas once Illidan's plans were stopped.

"I wish I could stay with you for one more hour but I really can't. I have to go to Outland."

"Fine, I'm no longer disturbing you then," sulked Sylvanas and got up from the bed. Kelrian sighed and got up from the bed too, stepping to Sylvanas. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. "We will be able to spend lots of time together once I return."

"I hope so," Sylvanas said and smirked as she rubbed her ass against a certain area.

"Fiend," Kelrian whispered before he kissed her cheek and stepped away from her. Sylvanas said nothing and just gave him a small mischievous grin, watching him getting dressed. "I already miss you inside me, honey."

"You will have to survive a few weeks without me, my dear."

"Can't you leave one of your clones here? Just in case I get bored or aroused."

"Very funny, my love."

Sylvanas said nothing in return as she got dressed. She stepped to Kelrian and kissed him on the lips. "Give my regards to Raesh."

"I will."

"Stay safe, my love. I will try to assemble a squadron of my best soldiers and send them to Outland. I assume you'll need every capable fighter you can get."

"You are not wrong about this. Illidan's influence might have been weakened over the past months but he still has many warriors left. We shouldn't underestimate him."

"I'll come to Outland if I can but I can't promise you anything."

Kelrian nodded. "Did you manage to make Balnazzar speak?"

Sylvanas shook her head. "Not yet but Varimathras is on it. If he won't get any information, then I will interrogate this traitor."

"I have not spoken to Danara yet but I will as soon as I can. I know that Tyrande doesn't want to cooperate with her but I think Danara will prove useful for overthrowing Illidan. I'll send someone to find her and deliver a message to her. I hope she will show up soon."

"And the naaru are fine with you wanting to cooperate with her?"

"It was their idea."

Sylvanas' facial expression reflected surprise. "Really?"

Kelrian nodded. "Yes. They believe that we need her to stop Illidan. I wish the High Priestess would give Danara a chance to prove herself but she still refuses to work with any demon. Things would be so much easier if her hatred for demons wouldn't influence her actions and decisions. I don't really like doing things behind Tyrande's back. I consider her a friend. Not a close friend like Marcus, Velsana or Vissia but still a friend. We worked together since the fall of Quel'Thalas until our paths split when we went to Northrend to stop Arthas. I don't want to get on Tyrande's bad side but I have no other choice than working with Danara behind Tyrande's back. If Danara wants to work with me."

"I have no doubt she will. And about Tyrande, I think she will forgive you as soon as the realises the true value of Exadius' daughter. She has to realize that not all demons are evil. Not all demons turn mad like..."

"Illidan?"

Sylvanas nodded. "I'm sure she wouldn't hate all demons if Illidan wouldn't have rejected her and pushed her away from him after Arthas defeated him."

"I wish I would have gone with Illidan that day instead of staying with my father. We could have defeated Arthas together... Instead, we lost many soldiers, our daughter escaped and so did Arthas..."

Sylvanas put her hands on Kelrian's face as soon as she saw small signs of grief and regret in his eyes. These emotions had been only visible for less than a second but Sylvanas had noticed them nonetheless. She knew Kelrian better than anyone else and she had keen powers of observation. She knew when he was sad even when he didn't show clear signs.

"We will free Sylvera from the Lich King's control. I'll do anything in my power to get her back."

Kelrian put his hands on hers and caressed their backs with his thumbs. "So will I. We will free her and make Arthas pay for his crimes."

Sylvanas nodded, her expression reflected determination. "We will."

"I really have to go now, my love," Kelrian said after several minutes of silence.

"Kiss me goodbye," Sylvanas demanded.

Kelrian obeyed her happily, noticing the way her ears twitched during the passionate kiss.

"May you succeed and return to me as soon as you can."

"I promise. Farewell, Sylvanas."

"Farewell. I love you, Kel."


	71. Interrogation

The climate on Outland was much warmer than on Azeroth but it didn't bother Kelrian, not in the slightest. He had gotten used to the climate during the year he had trained on Outland. The high temperatures didn't bother him nor did the high humidity. He was not sweating despite the thick armour he wore. He felt comfortable in this familiar area.

More than six years had passed since the last time Kelrian had been in Shadowmoon Valley. The dull area had not changed much since Illidan's forces had taken control over it. It was still a dull, demon-infested area in which no forms of vegetation could grow and no animals could live. The only creatures that lived in this area were demons and creatures who were corrupted and twisted by fel magic. Illidan's servants.

Kelrian found no joy in staying in this area. He wished he could leave it and just return to Sylvanas but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't leave this place until Illidan would be defeated. The Betrayer had to be stopped by any means.

He couldn't allow Illidan to take over Outland. Who knew what the crazy half-demon would do if he would succeed? It was not impossible that Illidan might try to take over Azeroth. Kelrian couldn't allow that. He would protect Azeroth by any means. That was all that mattered. There was nothing that was more important than the safety of Azeroth.

He was wondering how much Illidan had changed over the years. He had not seen him since he went with him to Northrend to stop Arthas. He had only heard what Illidan had done. The former night elf had betrayed anyone who had trusted him. Even his lover who had almost drunk demon blood. Illidan had tried to corrupt her and get her on his side. Kelrian didn't want to imagine how things would be if Tyrande would have become like Illidan. The situation would be much worse.

Kelrian was more than just glad that Tyrande hadn't been corrupted nor joined her former lover. He was glad that she was doing everything in her power to stop him. She was a good leader and an experienced warrioress. Kelrian was dependent on her help. Stopping Illidan wouldn't be easy. Illidan was powerful and Kelrian could use all the help he could get. The chance of victory was much higher with Tyrande by his side. But Tyrande was not the only powerful creature that was with him on Outland.

Kelrian spotted another familiar person on his way to the middle of the base. He hadn't heard much about her in the last few years, he had thought she was dead, but there she was, healthy and alive. He could not see her face but he had no doubt it was her. Her armour was unmistakable. It looked different from the armours of other wardens. It appeared to be made out of different materials and looked firmer. It was the armour of a leader.

Her helmet was similar to the helmets of other wardens, so was the colour of her armour. Unlike other wardens, Maiev wore a green cape that reached to her feet. Kelrian had no idea why she wore it. He didn't see the cape's purpose or its advantages. He only saw the disadvantages. He had often seen Maiev in the past few weeks but he had never dared to ask her about it. He had no reason to talk to her unless it was necessary. He didn't really want to spend time with her, so he kept his distance from her. He had never liked Maiev and he doubted that his feelings towards her will ever change.

Maiev was a complicated woman who was not easy to deal with. Not only was she arrogant but she was also always angry. She was controlled by anger, it defined her character and influenced her actions. All Maiev could think of was vengeance. Kelrian knew she would do anything to get her vengeance. He knew she wanted Illidan's death more than anything else and she would do anything to achieve her goal. She would stop at nothing to kill Illidan. It was not unlikely that she would sacrifice those who fought with her to achieve her ultimate goal, which she was pursuing for ten thousand years.

Kelrian could not allow her to kill Illidan. He had to spare his life for Sylvanas' sake. He had to make sure that Illidan will survive even if he would have to kill Maiev. It would be a necessary sacrifice and he had no doubt that the naaru wouldn't have a problem with it. He knew they wanted to bring Sylvanas back to life as badly as he wanted.

As long as the naaru would allow it, he saw nothing wrong about killing Maiev if necessary. The naaru were right about everything. Every decision they made was right. They didn't do mistakes. He did everything the naaru demanded of him and he would kill Maiev without hesitation if the naaru would demand it.

Nevertheless, he hoped he wouldn't have to do it. He didn't want to kill her but he would do it if she would leave him no other choice. It was up to Maiev if she would survive this mission or not. Kelrian hoped she would find a way to stop her anger from controlling her. She had to let go of the past somehow and make peace with Illidan. It wouldn't be easy but it was not impossible.

Kelrian noticed the warden following him after he had passed her and walked a few feet. He didn't stop walking, looking at her over his shoulder from time to time. She didn't stop and even increased her walking speed when he began to make larger and faster steps. He had no doubt that Maiev followed him. He stopped after a while and turned around, noticing that Maiev stopped as well.

"Can I help you somehow, Lady Shadowsong?" Kelrian asked politely.

"You can help me understand how you can be so foolish to think that sparing Illidan is a good idea. Illidan deserves to die for all the crimes he committed. Not only against my people but also against the Alliance," Maiev spat. Anger was clearly hearable in her voice.

"It is the will of the light. That's all I can say about it. I know what Illidan did. I wouldn't say that death wouldn't be a fair punishment but... The light wants him to live and there must be an important reason why it wants that. Killing Illidan would be a great mistake."

"Illidan always finds a way to get free. He will never rest and stop conquering Outland if we do not end his miserable life. It's better if we kill him. Trust me."

"I don't trust you Maiev, I never will," said Kelrian with a strict voice. "We won't kill him. The decision is final. No more discussions."

He couldn't see Maiev's face but he had no doubt that her eyes were narrowed and reflected pure anger and maybe even hatred. It was obvious that the warden was more than just mad at him. The way she clenched her fist was proof enough.

"Who are you to you think you have the last word? You are not the king of the Alliance. No one is. All leaders are equal. You have no right to decide about Illidan's fate. About his just punishment."

"I didn't decide that. The light does. The naaru spoke and their servants listened. I'm not the only one who wants him alive. Most of the priests and paladins spoke for it too."

"You mean those priests and paladins on Outland, right? Those who are influenced by the naaru? What about those on Azeroth? What do they say?"

"They are divided in opinion but many of them want to spare Illidan."

"Because you manipulated them and made them believe in your nonsense."

Kelrian shook his head slightly. "I have done nothing of the sort. All I did was to tell them what the naaru want. What the Light wants to be exact."

"Who says that the Light's will is the right way to go? Who says that the naaru are right in this case? Everyone can do mistakes. Even them."

"They were never wrong about anything. They are much wiser than we are and they have a lot more knowledge than any of us. I don't see a reason why we shouldn't trust them."

"Have you ever questioned them? Or are you just following them blindly like a loyal puppy?"

Kelrian tilted his head a little. "I still have my own opinion, just you know."

"And do you express it or do you just accept the naaru's decisions and do what they want from you?"

"What's your point, Lady Shadowsong?"

"I want to know if you would do everything the naaru want? Would you kill your wife if the naaru told you to?"

"Of course not," Kelrian's answer came like a shot, making Maiev raise an eyebrow.

"Are you sure about that?" the night elf probed.

This time Kelrian hesitated for a few moments. "I am."

"That doesn't sound convincing at all."

Kelrian refused to answer and began to walk again. Maiev followed without hesitation. Kelrian walked a little and then stopped, turning his head. He looked over his shoulder at the warden that was right behind him. "Why are you still following me?" he asked.

"You still haven't answered my questions."

"I don't owe you any answers, Maiev. You are not my boss."

"You've become an ass since you became the naaru's chosen one."

Kelrian's facial features didn't derail. "That's your personal opinion. I don't really care what you think about me."

Maiev snorted. "You only care about the opinions of your family, don't you? Their opinions and what the naaru have to say. You are not only the lapdog of the Banshee Queen but also a tool of the naaru. I noticed great potential in you when we first met. Too bad you wasted it. It's sad to see what you've become."

This time it was Kelrian who snorted annoyed. "Comes from you. At least, I'm not blinded by vengeance. I will not walk over piles of dead bodies to achieve Illidan's downfall. Is vengeance everything you have in your pitiful life? Have you ever thought about pursuing a different life? A more or less normal life? Don't you want to find love and start a family? Even if you kill Illidan, what will you do then? You'll no longer have a purpose. If I were you, I would stop following this pointless path and look for a new purpose."

Maiev said nothing in return. All she did was to give Kelrian a venomous gaze.

"You won't change my mind, no matter what you do, Maiev. I told the other leaders of the Light's will. It is up to them to decide if we will spare Illidan once we captured him. Sylvanas is on my side, so are Alleria, Tyrande and Malfurion. I'm sure that Vereesa convinced Rhonin to vote for Illidan's survival. We will see how the other leaders decide. The odds are not in your favour, Maiev."

Maiev muttered something. Kelrian assumed that she had said something like 'I hope he dies in battle. I'll make sure he will.'

_You will never be able to convince Maiev to let go of her hatred._ M'uru said to Kelrian. _You should rather convince the other leaders to not allow Maiev to join the final battle against Illidan's forces._

Kelrian continued to walk towards his destination. He arrived at the large tent, nodding at the guards who stepped aside and allowed him to enter. They didn't refuse Maiev to enter, so she followed him.

Kelrian stopped in front of the round wooden table and let his gaze wander from creature to creature that stood around it. He said nothing about those who were present but Maiev did. "What is she doing here?" Maiev exclaimed as she pointed at the white-haired woman.

"Relax, Maiev. She is on our side. She is no longer our enemy."

Maiev's narrowed eyes didn't leave Whitemane who remained silent. "How can you be so sure? Not so long ago, she had planned to attack the Alliance."

Kelrian looked at the warden. "She was misguided. She followed the wrong path but I opened her eyes and made her realize that her point of view is wrong. I made her understand that the Forsaken are not evil and reminded her of the difference between them and the Scourge. I reminded her that the Burning Legion and the Scourge still pose threats to us."

"I don't trust her."

Kelrian sighed. "But I do and that is enough for everyone to work with her. Everyone but you. Keep in mind that you are not in charge of this campaign. Tyrande Whisperwind is the one who leads the campaign. She decides everything and she approved Whitemane's presence. As you know, the light is very effective against demons. Whitemane is one of the strongest priestesses on Azeroth. It would be foolish to forbid her to not fight with us."

Maiev groaned. "If Tyrande approved it, it is fine for me."

Kelrian said nothing to her in response and turned his head to look at Shandris. "Did you receive new orders from your mother?" he asked her.

Shandris nodded. "She wants us to prepare our forces for an attack."

"An attack? Does she believe we have enough men to attack the Black Temple?" Kelrian asked. Doubt was visible on his face.

"We won't attack the Black Temple yet. We will free one of Illidan's former allies who turned against him," the night elf explained.

"Who?"

"His name is Akama. I assume you know him."

"I do. I helped to defend his village against fel orcs. We served Illidan together until Arthas defeated our forces. How it comes that he turned against Illidan?"

"As you know, Illidan promised the temple to the Broken. He didn't keep his promise. Illidan went to the Black Temple after his defeat and possessed it. He killed every Broken who did not follow his orders. He expelled Akama and his clan and made the Black Temple to his fortress. It's his place of refuge, his most important base."

"Akama can be a powerful ally. Where is he held?"

"In the same place my sisters are held," responded Maiev.

"Sisters? I thought you only have a brother."

"I meant my battle sisters, the other warden. Illidan captured some of them."

"So where are they?"

"The place is called Warden's Cage, name says everything. In the beginning, Illidan only imprisoned Warden in this place but with time everyone who opposed him was sent to this prison. We need Akama if we want to get inside the Black Temple without having to fight our way through his army."

Kelrian gave Maiev a small appreciating nod before he turned his attention to Shandris. "When will we attack?"

"In two days."

"Do we have a plan or do we just run them over?"

"The chances of them killing some of the prisoners are high if we attack them directly. We should assemble smaller groups which sneak into the prison, kill the guards secretly and free the prisoners."

"Do you want me to participate in this mission?"

"As much as I appreciate your help, I don't think you should join. Your aura is one of the strongest I ever felt. It's recognizable from a far distance. Unless you find a way to suppress it, the guards will be aware of your presence. I prefer to remain undetected which will be impossible with you by our sides," explained Shandris.

"What if I already have a way to suppress it?"

"Then you can join us."

Kelrian nodded. "Perfect."

* * *

Painful screams filled the air. Cries, strikes and whip lashes echoed through the room. A liquid dripped onto the floor. Green was its colour. Blood. Demon blood to be exact. More and more blood dripped onto the floor the longer the process continued.

"It doesn't seem that he will ever talk. I know how stubborn my brother can be. He will never talk, especially not after you ordered me to kill him." The creature's cold and monotonous voice sounded pleasant compared to the sounds that were produced when the iron whip strings came in contact with unprotected, vulnerable skin.

Sylvanas averted her gaze from the purple-winged demon and looked at the smaller demon whose armour and wings were red. "We will do anything necessary to make him talk. YOU will do anything necessary, is that clear?"

Varimathras looked at his mistress, noticing the strict expression on her face. The crimson colour of her eyes was darker than usual, nothing but coldness was reflected by them. There was no room for mercy, not for a traitorous nathrezim at least.

"IS THAT CLEAR?" Sylvanas repeated loudly at Varimathras' silence.

The demon nodded hesitantly, the expression on his face was unreadable. "It is, milady."

Sylvanas leaned against the wall, arms crossed in front of her chest. Her gaze fell on Executor Zygand who was still holding the iron whip in his hands. "I didn't order you to stop," she barked.

Zygand nodded his head and muttered an apology, turning back to the dreadlord he was torturing for hours. He swung the whip, hitting the demon's naked back. A painful cry escaped Balnazzar's lips, his face was distorted in pain and his eyes reflected hatred.

The demon would love to approach Sylvanas and drain the last remains of life out of her cold body. There was nothing he would love to do more than killing her. He wanted to make her pay for what she did to his brothers but he was powerless. The choker around his neck sat tight and prevented him from using his powers.

Sylvanas watched her minion whipping her prisoner for several minutes before she decided to step away from the wall and approach him for the fifth time of the day. She came closer to the nathrezim. Very close. She was in his reach but she was not afraid of him. Even if he would be able to use his powers and move his hands, she wouldn't be afraid of him. His hands were shackled and bound to the floor just like his feet. Balnazzar was on all four, his head was lifted and his dangerous gaze rested on her.

The Banshee Queen regarded her prisoner for a few moments before she averted her gaze and looked at her favourite executor. Zygand lowered the whip and stepped away, regarding his mistress curiously.

Sylvanas' gaze fell back on the demon. "Will you talk to me now or shall we continue?"

"Piss off, whore," Balnazzar spat.

Sylvanas shook her head slowly, disappointment could be seen in her eyes. She only needed to glance at Varimathras to make him understand what he had to do. He stepped forward and approached his brother, his hand lashed out and connected with Balnazzar's cheek, leaving a dark red handprint. Balnazzar turned his head to stare at his brother, he said nothing but his face spoke volumes. He was not very fond of his brother at this very moment.

"Is that all you got, you son of a bitch?" He managed to say eventually.

Varimathras' eyes narrowed. "You do realise you have just insulted yourself, don't you?"

"I don't care, son of a bitch."

"Leave our mother out, she has nothing to do with this."

"She has. She gave birth to you piece of shit. I should have strangled you in your crib when you when I had the chance to."

Varimathras lashed out again, hitting his brother harder this time. Balnazzar's head snapped back, blood flowed out of his burst bottom lip. Dark laughter escaped the taller demon's lips when he regained his composure.

"Do not ever dare to insult our mother again." the smaller demon hissed.

Balnazzar tilted his head as far as he could to the right side, which was not very far, and raised an eyebrow. "Or what?"

"Or you will regret it," Varimathras hissed. "Trust me."

"Our mother was a whore just like your new mistress." The red demon's mischievous grin was wide and still lasted after he had received three hard punch from his younger brother. He cared little about his broken nose and his fractured jaw.

Varimathras was about to punch him again but Sylvanas signalized him to stop and step away. Varimathras obeyed like the loyal servant he wasand increased the distance between himself and his brother. Balnazzar's gaze rested on him a little longer before it fell on the undead woman in front of him.

"We can do it the easy way or the hard way, Balnazzar. It is up to you," spoke Sylvanas and began to walk circles around him. Balnazzar couldn't turn his head to follow her and even if he could, he wouldn't. He continued to stare at the spot where she had been standing before, his lips were pressed together so that no recognizable sound could escape them.

"You know that I will get the information I want eventually. There is no way you will not sing like a songbird. It is only a matter of time until your mind breaks. No one can resist torture forever," she said coldly.

Balnazzar smirked devilishly, waiting until Sylvanas came in his sight again. "Does your husband know how you are treating me? How you are treating a prisoner? Does the Alliance know? I doubt they do. They would never allow you to do that. I wonder what your sisters will think about you if they would see you right now. They will be hurt, they will be heartbroken when they recognize the monster in you. The monster you truly are. The monster you have always been. The monster you chose to be."

"I NEVER CHOSE TO BE LIKE THIS," Sylvanas roared out angrily. "I NEVER CHOSE ANY OF THIS."

Balnazzar's grin became as wide as possible as he recognized the anger in Sylvanas' eyes. He noticed the vulnerability in her eyes but it was quickly replaced by anger and hatred. He had found a vulnerable spot, a spot he would love to take advantage of but he didn't get the chance to. His head began to hurt, his synapses burned like acid, his skin began to itch uncomfortably and his heart began to ache. There was a strong and deep pain in his chest, he got the impression his heart would explode the very next moment.

His expectation turned out to be true as he pulled himself together and lifted his head. Sylvanas was the one who was causing him pain. She was in her banshee form, floating above the floor. Her left arm was raised, her hand pointed at him, her long fingers were stretched out. She closed her hand slowly, the pain he felt became worse with each passing second. Balnazzar was aware that something bad would happen when she would close her hand and clench it to a fist.

"You are killing him, mistress," Varimathras said alarmed. His voice reflected worry, so did his face.

Sylvanas didn't respond to him.

"Lady Sylvanas, please stop before you kill him."

Sylvanas ignored him once again.

"You won't get any information from him if you kill him. He may deserve death but he is more useful to us if he stays alive." It was Zygand who spoke to her this time and tried to reach her but she ignored him too. She didn't respond to him nor did she stop yet but she had heard his words. She knew he was right but she didn't want to listen to him. The desire to end the life of this pitiful creature was strong.

Balnazzar's words had hit her hard, much harder than expected. She felt offended. She knew that Balnazzar's intention was to insult her and make her lose her cool. She didn't want to admit it but she knew that his words contained a small spark of truth.

She had changed for the worse but it had not been her who was responsible for the changes. It was Arthas who turned her into a monster. Arthas who killed her and raised her from the dead. Arthas who forced her to kill her people, her loved ones and even her own mother. It was Arthas' doing and not hers. She had never wanted to become like this. Had never wanted to be raised as an undead. Arthas had tried to turn her into a monster but he had not succeeded.

She was not a monster. Her husband, her family and her friends had prevented her from becoming a monster. But she was no saint either. She did everything necessary to assure the survival of her people and the ones she loved. Not to mention the deaths of her enemies.

She would do anything necessary to stop the Burning Legion and the Scourge. She would even torture and abuse prisoners, something she would have never done in life. Something for which people will despise her. A necessary thing to achieve her goals. Necessary in her eyes. In her eyes, she was doing it for the greater good.

Sylvanas remembered something Kelrian had once said to her a few days after their reunion.

_There is always someone or something who tries to turn us evil. It is up to us if we give in or fight. If we accept how things are or if we try to change it for the better. Arthas turned you into this but it is up to you if you keep acting like the banshee he turned you into or if you try to become someone else. I understand that violence is a part of you but it is up to you if you let violence and hatred speak for you or if you find a way to control your emotions._

_No one tells you to be the banshee he raised. No one can determine who you are. You can choose who you want to be. You can choose to fight your violent nature or let it consume you. Your choice. Keep in mind that you can be so much better than what Arthas has turned you into. You may never be the same person who hates to use unnecessary violence again, but you can try. Preventing your emotions from taking control of you is a good start. Ignore what others say about you and make your own decisions. I know you can be so much better than you think. You are not a monster._

Sylvanas felt the immense power leaving her body. The hateful thoughts left her mind, the anger disappeared and so did the desire to kill Balnazzar for his mean words. She felt her body changing. Her incorporeal form became corporeal, she finally felt her legs again and the floor beneath her feet. She was still angry with Balnazzar but she was no longer furious.

The memory of Kelrian had allowed her to regain control. She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she wouldn't have regained control. She would have probably painted the walls and floor with the demon's blood. But fortunately, she hadn't given in to anger. She was better than the monster Arthas had turned her into. Kelrian was right. He always was. It was up to her who she was. Only she could fight her violent nature. She had to be better than the violent, merciless banshee she had once been. She had to be for her people, her family, her friends and the man she loved.

Sylvanas' gaze fell back on Balnazzar who was breathing heavily, shock was written all over his face. It seemed that he had not expected her to behave like this. He definitely had not expected her to cause him so much pain and almost kill him.

She could see in his eyes that he was scared of her. Scared because of her powers and what she could do with them. She knew she didn't have to kill him. All she had to do was to use his fear against him.

Sylvanas stepped closer to him, giving him a cold look while she regarded him from above. "I could let Varimathras hurt you again and again and again. He can do this all day and night but I don't want to do that. I'm not the monster you think I am. I'll give you a choice instead."

"And how does that choice look like?" Balnazzar asked after he had pulled himself together. His face no longer reflected how scared he was of Sylvanas.

"I'll convince the other leaders of the Alliance to forget about your betrayal and spare you if you tell me what I want to know. I'll make sure that Danara forgives you and allows you to serve her. I'm certain you know that the Legion only scored defeats in the past decades. I offer you to join the winning side and work with us to take down our common enemies. The Legion, which slaughtered most of your people including your wife and children, and the Scourge. I'm sure you want to kill Arthas for mocking you and your brothers and not treating you with the necessary respect."

A thoughtful look could be seen on the dreadlord's face as he considered her words. He was silent for nearly ten minutes but then he gave her a response. "What do you want to know?"

The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a small smile. She finally made progress. "Who is really behind the uprising of the Scarlet Crusade? Who ordered you to stir them up against my people?"

"The night elves call him _The Betrayer._ "

"Illidan Stormrage."

Balnazzar nodded. "Exactly."

A frown appeared on Sylvanas' forehead, an eyebrow was raised. "So, you worked for Illidan? Why? And why does he want the Scarlet Crusade to attack my people? I do not understand."

"I worked for Illidan because I believed that he is the only one who can oppose Kil'jaeden and the Legion. It turns out he is not even powerful enough to keep the territories he conquered. Illidan is a dead-end for me. A lost cause. He won't be able to stop the Legion, no matter how hard he tries."

"Not alone at least," Sylvanas muttered.

"What did you say?" the demon asked.

"Nothing. Tell me why Illidan ordered you to stir up the Scarlet Crusade against me and my Forsaken."

"He wanted to keep you busy and to divide the forces of the Alliance. He hoped to defeat one half of the Alliance forces first and then the other. He didn't want to fight the whole Alliance army at once, that's why he caused trouble. He believed that splitting the forces of the Alliance into two separated armies would increase his chances of victory."

Sylvanas looked at Varimathras. "You know your brother better than I or anyone else. Does he speak the truth?"

"I have no doubt he does," Varimathras replied confidentially.

"How do you know?"

"Instinct. I know my brother for thousands of years. I know when he is lying and when he is speaking the truth."

"I trust your judgement, don't make me regret it," replied Sylvanas. She turned her head and looked back at Balnazzar. "I trust your word for now. Don't dare to trick me. You don't want to get on my bad side, trust me."

"You won't regret it. Promised."

Sylvanas' gaze wandered to Zygand. "Release him."

"As you wish, my queen."


End file.
